Agia Fotini Mantineias Church is located on a plain where the ancient city of Mantineia was formerly situated. Construction on the church began in 1969 and it was inaugurated in 1978. No cement was used during the building process, only natural materials such as stone, marble, wood, and tiles.
The church fuses Christian, Byzantine, and Ancient Greek architectural elements, and incorporates radical ornamentation and iconography
Agia Fotini Mantineias Church is an eclectic, monumental ensemble that fuses Christian, Byzantine, and Ancient Greek architectural elements, and incorporates radical ornamentation and iconography. The unusual construction methods and overall style of the church earned the respect and admiration of some – comparing it to a Greek Sagrada Familia.
There are rumors that the church was constructed with materials taken from ancient Greek structures such as pillars, stones, and mosaics. The church was created by architect Konstantinos Papatheodorou and was dedicated to Saint Photina, the Samaritan woman at the well. Photina also means “the luminous one.”
There are rumors that the church was constructed with materials taken from ancient Greek structures such as pillars, stones, and mosaics
The main structure was completed by 1974, then the interior work began. Inside the church, we see the expression of the architect as an iconographer: The concept of stylistic variety continues, with sequences of religious and pagan themes combining on the mosaics and wall paintings. Classical symbolism such as meanders, pastoral or hunting scenes abound, and figures in ancient togas blend with Christian saints dressed in modern attire, such as jeans and t-shirts.
