Holy Church of Saint Peter

The Church of Saint Peter dominates the highest point of the village of Kastania in Western Mani. It is the oldest of the ten Byzantine monuments preserved in the settlement. The main church dates to the late 12th century. The narthex, in the form of a portico, was added in the mid-13th century, while the three-storey, tower-like bell tower was built in 1813.
The church belongs to the architectural type of the four-column, cross-in-square domed church. Its interior is entirely covered with wall paintings attributed to four distinct phases: the first two in the Byzantine period, the third in the 18th century, and the fourth—largely removed—in the post-war period.
The marble elements of the church (the templon, door frames, and the marble surround of the narthex entrance) are exceptional examples of local Byzantine sculpture.

Over time, the church developed very serious structural and construction problems. The narthex was in imminent danger of collapse, while the wall paintings had suffered significant deterioration due to adverse environmental conditions.
AIGEAS AMKE, in collaboration with the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, undertook the full restoration of Saint Peter of Kastania, one of the most important examples of the so-called Helladic School of Byzantine architecture in the Messenian (Outer) Mani. The works were carried out in accordance with the study approved by the Ministry of Culture and prepared by the then 26th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities.
In summary, the intervention included strengthening the church’s load-bearing capacity, replacing the tiled roof, conserving and restoring the façades, preserving the wall paintings and marble elements, and arranging the surrounding area.
The exemplary restoration of the monument led to the award of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award 2016, one of the highest European distinctions in the field of Cultural Heritage. The award ceremony took place on 5 November 2016 in Kastania.

DONATION OF THE NON-PROFIT CIVIL COMPANY AEGEAS

• Restoration, conservation and enhancement of the church and its environs.