Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, Koronisia

The church is located in a central point of the settlement of Koronisia. It is a small building of {{convert|15|x|7.30|m|ft}}, which consists of three interconnected parts: the main church, a narthex and an outer narthex.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yFxoAAAAMAAJ&q=%CE%9C%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AE%CF%82+%CE%9A%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82 |title=Ήπειρος, 4000 χρόνια ελληνικής ιστορίας και πολιτισμού, Συλλογικό έργο, εκδ|publisher=Εκδοτική Αθηνών Α.Ε. |location=Athens|year=1997|page=196|isbn=978-960-213-371-2 }} The main temple belongs to the rare type of semi-inscribed cruciform with a dome. On the west side of the church there is the narthex covered with a continuous semi-cylindrical dome while the outer narthex is covered with a wooden roof. The entrance to the temple is possible through two doors while the floor of the temple is made of slabs, in the center of which a relief marble slab with the decorative theme of the five loaves is preserved. The Holy Altar is built. Few and poorly preserved frescoes are preserved in the main church and the narthex.{{Cite web|url=http://olympias.lib.uoi.gr/jspui/handle/123456789/6880 |title=H εντοίχια ζωγραφική του 17ου αιώνα στους ναούς του νομού Άρτας, ΜΒ Τσιαπαλή, Ιωάννινα|year=2003|website=olympias.lib.uoi.gr}}

Of great interest is the 19th century wood-carved iconostasis, which bears a multitude of fully-carved floral and animal decorations. The image of Christ on the iconostasis dates from 1854, while the other icons are from 1884 to 1885. Along the north side of the temple there is an elongated portico with a wooden roof. The spire belongs to the perforated wall type and has a width of 2.90 m and a height of 7.75 m. According to the foundation inscription, the spire was built at the end of the 19th century. Attached to the temple is a now-ruined building that in the past housed the olive press of the Monastery, while next to it was the koulia, where the monks lived. According to the sources, the specific building was renovated in 1870 by the abbot Archimandrite Ambrosios Rafailidis.{{Citation|chapter=«Ατινα δαπάνη της Μονής άνεκαίνισε φιλοτίμως ο επ' ολίγον ηγουμενεύσας Αρχιμανδρίτης Αμβρόσιος Ραφαηλίδης έκ Κορυτσάς ορμώμενος, εν έτει 1870, κυριαρχική άδεια.»|first=Σεραφείμ |last=Ξενόπουλος|title=Δοκίμιον Ιστορικόν περί Άρτης & Πρεβέζης|year=1884|page=170}}{{Citation|url=https://www.academia.edu/33230758 |title=Η Παναγία της Κορωνησίας, Βαρβάρα Παπαδοπούλου, Άρτα|year=2016}}

The church was built at the end of the 10th century. Historically, the first source that informs us of the existence of the Monastery are two notes from 1193, in the Gospel of the Monastery of Mega Spilaio where it is mentioned that the abbot was Methodios.{{Citation|title=Η Παναγία Κορακονησίας, Ορλάνδος, ABME 11|location=Athens|year=1969}} Cyriacus of Ancona visited Arta in 1436 and informs us that he attended the liturgy held in the church of Panagia and was hosted in the monastery.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kEFoAAAAMAAJ&q=+Blessed+Virgin%2C+ |title=Epirus: the Geography, the Ancient Remains, the History and Topography of Epirus and Adjacent Areas|first=Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière |last=Hammond|year=1967|page=137}} The Monastery of Koronisia had a large property mainly on the coasts of Aetolia-Acarnania and fish farms in Kalogeriko Artas, while it was particularly known for the eel farms it had in the Ambracian gulf, because of which the monks received threats from the inhabitants of Vonitsa. A letter of Patriarch Jeremias I, in 1530, to the bishop of Vonitsa, in which he ordered them not to harass the monks of Koronisia, is mentioned.«Η έντώ Αμβρακικώ Κόλπω κειμένη χερσονίζουσα νήσος Κορωνησία, οικείται υπό 10 οικογενειών, ών αι πλειστα υπηρετούσαν έντώ παρακειμένω Ιχθυοτροφείω, έκκλησίαζόμενα έντώ ναώ του ιερού αυτόθι Μοναστηρίου της Θεοτόκου» -«Χωρίον Καλογερικών, ιδιόκτητον της Μονής Κορωνησίας.», Σεραφείμ Ξενόπουλος, Δοκίμιον Ιστορικόν περί Άρτης & Πρεβέζης» (εκδ.1884), σ.43-46.Ανέκδοτον γράμμα του πατριάρχου Ιερεμίου του Α ́ περί της Μονής της Κορακονησίας, Δ. Ζακυνθηνός, ΕΕΒS 13, 192–196, 1937

In 1603, Sultan Mehmed III sent a decree to the governor of the Karleli sanjak and the kadis of Arta, Agia Mavra and Vonitsa and requested that the military authorities stop disturbing the monks and respect the property of the monastery at Myrtari in Vonitsa.{{Citation|title=Αρχείο των Βυζαντινών Μνημείων της Ελλάδας|first=Α.|last= Ορλάνδος |page=9|year=1961}} In 1670 it was radically renovated by the hieromonk Eugene of {{ill|Kostakioi|el|Κωστακιοί Άρτας}}, who went to the monastery of Koronisia and built the cells of the monastery and gathered the monks.{{Citation|title=«Έν έτει άπο Χρίστον αχό [1670], λέγει τοΰτο, τον μηναν τον Οκτώβριον ήλθεν ο Ευγένιος ιερομόναχος άπο τους Κωστακέους είς το μοναστήριον είς την Καρακονησαΐαν καί άνήγειρεν αυτήν, καί έκτισε τά κελλία καί έσυμμάζωξε μονάχους καί ιερομονάχους.», Ανέκδοτον γράμμα του πατριάρχου Ιερεμίου του Α' περί της μονής Κορακονησίας, Ζακυθηνού Δ.|journal= Επετηρίς Εταιρείας Βυζαντ. Σπουδών|volume=13 1937|url=http://ir.lib.uth.gr/bitstream/handle/11615/19766/article.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024}} In 1860, the Ottoman government built, for the protection of the fish farms of the monastery, a small fortress, the "koulia" of Koronisia.«Έμειναν δ'έκτοτε αι νήσοι αύται και τα ιχθυοτροφεία υπό την κυριαρχία, της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας, ήτις προς περιφρούρησιν της νήσου και των ιχθυοτροφείων ανήγειρεν εκ βάθρων, τώ 1855 έτει και τινα στρατώνα.», Σεραφείμ Ξενόπουλος, Δοκίμιον Ιστορικόν περί Άρτης & Πρεβέζης» (εκδ.1884), σ.203.Νικόλαος Κ. Μουτσόπουλος, Η Παναγία της Κορακονησίας'', Θεσσαλονίκη 2005, σελ. 26-27. In 1918 the Monastery of Koronisia ceased to function as a monastery and became a metochion of the monastery of Prophet Elijah in Iliovounia and was converted into a parish church. In 1969, by ministerial decision, the temple was declared a preserved monument.[http://www.archaiologia.gr/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/109-17.pdf Η Κορακονησία, Αφέντρα Γ. Μουτζάλη, τευχος 109, Αρχαιολογία και Τέχνες.] In 1969 a ministerial decree made the monastery a listed site.[http://listedmonuments.culture.gr/monument.php?code=886&v17= Περί κηρύξεως αρχαιολογικών χώρων, ΥΑ 27702/25-1-1969, ΦΕΚ 84/Β/5-2-1969]{{Dead link|date=August 2024}}

{{reflist}}

• Η Κορακονησία, Αφέντρα Γ. Μουτζάλη, τεύχος 109, Αρχαιολογία και Τέχνες.
• Η Παναγία της Κορωνησίας, Βαρβάρα Παπαδοπούλου, Άρτα, 2016.

• [http://www.peartas.gov.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57:2011-06-15-07-48-47&catid=23:2011-06-10-06-28-51&Itemid=26 Η Παναγία της Κορωνησίας, Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Άρτας.]

Category:Former Christian monasteries in Greece

Category:Christian monasteries established in the 10th century

Category:10th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire

Category:Byzantine sites in Epirus (region)

Category:Buildings and structures in Arta (regional unit)