Artokostas Monastery
The Monastery belongs to the community of Prastos and to the Holy Metropolitan Bishopric of Mantinia and Kynouria, as during the Medieval times belonged to the Metropolitan Bishopric of Monemvasia. There are two monasteries dedicated to Virgin Mary. The women’s monastery, which is the Monastery of Arthokostas or Orthokostas ad the first one the Byzantine.
Among the possibilities of the name of the Monastery, there is one that claims that comes from the local name “escorta or Scorta” that refers to Morias. Today the name Orthocosta is used.
The Monastery was destroyed and remained with no monks, because of the dramatic facts of the conquest of Peloponnisos, already since 1460.
During the liberation, the monasteries of Tsakonia, that were close to the rebellion centers (Prastos, Tyros, Sitaina, Leonidio)participated in the pro-rebellion but the rebellion preparation about the Greek Nation, as well. As a matter of fact, the abbot Joseph Kanestras had armed 50 fighters and funded them with expenses of the monastery. In 1982 the monastery became a women’s one.
The traditional square shape of the monastery is surrounded by a protective wall. It is formed of two-story and ground floor buildings with a roofed verandah all around, as in the center there is the main church. The eastern entrance leads to the yard, through the transient.
It is at a distance of 12km from Agios Andrea,52km from Leonidio and 21km from Astros. The northern side is towards the stream of Vrasiati, as the others are surrounded by greenery.