The most complete
information guide about Athens, Greece
Churches in Athens
Agios Andreas (Saint
Andrew)
The Monastery of Saint Filothei
The small church of Saint Andrew is on Agias Filotheis street
near the cathedral of Athens, in an area that is crowded with
shops selling religious artifacts. Ca. 1550, during the Ottoman
rule, the Athenian nun Philothei whose family name was Regoula
or Rigoula Venizelou, founded a women’s monastery in this
area. There once was an early-Christian basilica here.
The
monastery housed a hostel and a hospital where the nuns looked
after people regardless of their religious background as well
as a girls’ school. The monastery’s katholikon (main
church), a three-aisled basilica dedicated to Saint Andrew, was
demolished in 1890 together with the rest of the monastery in
order to build the Archbishop’s offices. A crypt was built
from the remains of the early-Christian basilica.
Saint
Filothei of Athens
Filothei
Regoula or Rigoula Venizelou was born in Athens in 1522.
She came from an aristocratic family. Her father, Angelos
Venizelos, belonged to a well-known Athenian family and
her mother was born to the Palaiologos family.
When
Rigoula was still in her teens, she married Andreas Cheilas
and she became a nurse. Soon after, however, she was widowed
and became a nun taking on the name Filothei. Her charitable
work, her support for the Christian women in the Acropolis’
harem and her preaching, angered the Ottoman authorities.
She was arrested, tortured and she died a martyr on 19
February 1589 which now is the date of her commemoration
on the Orthodox religious calendar.
Her
relics are kept in the Cathedral of Athens and she is
the patron saint of Filothei, the wealthy suburb that
was named after her.
Saint Filotheis street
Monastiraki – Syntagma
For
typical words, please consult our Greek
glossary.