Many Greek churches are admirable, but perhaps one of the most remarkable is Agia Foteini in Mantineia, northern Peloponnese.
We had the privilege of meeting Kostas Papatheodorou, the civil engineer, architect, artist, and philosopher behind this extraordinary building. He invited us on an exclusive private tour of what he calls his life’s work.
The church of Agia Foteini rises as a striking sight in the open landscape of Mantineia – a building that organically blends ancient, Byzantine, and Oriental elements. It is a church unlike any other, filled with both sacred and playful features.
Kostas Papatheodorou – the creator of the church
When the church was built in the early 1970s, Kostas Papatheodorou became a remarkable figure in the eyes of the locals Summer and winter alike, he worked tirelessly among piles of discarded materials, transforming them into his life’s work. One of the villagers describes him like this:
He was called “the ghost of ancient Mantineia” – a solitary figure who walked or cycled to the church construction site, where he carved stone and breathed new life into what others deemed worthless. He even lived for six months in a tent at the site in order to save time. (From the magazine lifo.gr)
Meeting a groundbreaking artist
Fifty-five years later, we meet this man in the remote mountain village of Levidi in northern Peloponnese, where he now lives, not far from Agia Foteini.
He immediately comes across as a kind-hearted, humble, and modest individual. With a warm and lively storytelling manner, and a twinkle in his eye, he openly shares memories, reflections, and anecdotes from his journey as the creator of Agia Foteini, one of Greece’s most unique churches.
After getting acquainted, he kindly asks us to accompany him to his home to retrieve the new icon he has painted and wishes to install in the church.
We arrive at his modest residence, a 160 sq. ft. apartment comprising a bedroom studio, a kitchenette, and a small bathroom. Carefully wrapping the delicate icon, which depicts Jesus mocked by the Romans, he carries it himself, despite his age, to the car and later into the church.
Once inside the church, we decide together where the icon should be placed. Then, we sit down on a church bench to talk about his life’s work.
His voice echoes through the church’s arches as he shares the vision, challenges, and inspiration behind the creation of this unique place.
Kostas explains that it was the Mantineia Society that approached him in the late 1960s. They wanted to create a church dedicated to Agia Foteini, but one that would stand out from the rest.
“I immediately felt that this was something special,” he says, adding that he promptly resigned from the Ministry of Culture and moved to Tripoli to begin his life’s work.
Guidance from within
He quickly drafted an initial sketch of the church to secure a building permit, even though the design later evolved in a completely different direction. Once construction began, he experienced strong inner guidance.
“It was as if something deep within me guided every single step,” he explains. “It wasn’t like an actual voice, but more like a profound feeling.”
Kostas explains that he and a small team of craftsmen began the construction intending to create everything by hand, following old traditions.
“Everything you see here, we made ourselves, with our own hands. We never bought a finished product. The work was intense, often continuing day and night. We even made bricks of our own and, of course, built without cement.”
Kostas carefully oversaw every step to realize his vision down to the smallest detail.
He gestures passionately toward the various parts of the building. First, he directs our attention to the unique arches and begins to explain his thoughts behind their design.
“The arches here are not circular; they are parabolic,” he points out, explaining that a parabola is a geometric curve symbolizing something that extends toward infinity.
“See over there,” he continues, pointing. “The right column stands perfectly upright, while the left has a slight tilt. Its axis points toward the Pantocrator at the top of the dome.”
He refers to the traditional depiction of Christ as the Pantocrator – a common feature in Greek Orthodox churches, where Christ is portrayed as the Ruler of the Universe, positioned high above in the dome.
“I painted Him with a small, fine brush, without following any sketch. The ideas came to me spontaneously as I worked high up on the scaffolding,” he says.
To save time, he initially slept on the scaffolding. He also recalls an owl that would come to wake him early every morning. Kostas built her a marble nest, where she later had owlets.
“She would tap on the dome with her beak every morning; we had become friends,” he says with a gentle smile.
Marble – a peculiar material
Kostas also shares his deep reverence for marble, describing it as a living material.
“Marble has a soul of its own and needs to be shaped and placed in the right way. Each piece must be set where it belongs, at the proper distance, in the correct form, and with its movement in the right direction,” he says, gesturing toward the details of the church. “That’s why we mostly used hand tools and rarely relied on machines.”
Kostas then points to the capitals and other decorative details as he explains how he drew inspiration from Greece’s rich history.
“My inspiration comes from all Greek eras,” he says, “from the Mycenaean civilization and the Classical period to the Byzantine era, all the way to modern Greece.”
“Everything in here speaks,” Kostas continues reverently. “Everything wants to tell a story. Do you see the different colors and combinations? They are trying to communicate something too.”
He also points out that the building has no right angles, which makes it appear slightly askew.
“It’s as if the church is alive. It looks fragile – almost delicate. But that’s exactly what gives it an organic life; it’s like a living being,” he says with a mysterious smile. “It doesn’t belong to any known architectural style.”
I take the opportunity to share with Kostas my impression of the church from my first visit – a curious blend of ancient, Byzantine, and modernist elements, with surreal and almost comical touches. The church had struck me as ramshackle, almost like Karagiozis’ rickety house.
“Yes, ramshackle is a good word,” Kostas agrees. “But behind the ramshackle appearance,” he explains, “lies a higher form of mathematics – not the kind we learn in school.”
But this blend of Christian and ancient elements – how did people react when they saw what was taking shape?”
“Most people liked how the church looked, especially the Mantineia Society, which financed the project. They supported me throughout the entire process.”
But then Kostas shakes his head as he recalls the negative reactions.
“Unfortunately, some people tried to hinder me,” he says quietly. “Once, they even tried shaking the scaffolding to make me fall. Others fired a shotgun at the roof while I was sleeping inside, mostly to scare me.”
But Kostas did not give up and continued his work tirelessly. Despite the many challenges and opposition from some, he persevered with unwavering determination.
“Did the official Church approve of what was taking shape?”
“At first, they were skeptical, but in the end, it was approved, though with some reservations. The regular priests love the church as it is, but opinions among the bishops are divided. Some find fault with both big and small things; it’s hard to explain to them what it’s all about.”
“And what about ordinary people?”
“Ordinary people just love Agia Foteini! Many want to get married or baptize their children here.”
Much More Than a Church
The church has become a beloved venue for weddings and baptisms, but for Kostas, it is so much more. To him, Agia Foteini is like a part of his own body, a living extension of himself.
“God can only be expressed through symbols, and it is through symbols that the building speaks,” he explains.
“The purpose of the building is to unite the human with the divine. The divine can be glimpsed in every stone, in the movement, and in the direction each part points toward.”
A sanctuary located outside the church was added at a later stage but never fully completed.
Another sanctuary outside the church was inspired by the biblical story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
Kostas also shares a remarkable experience from the day before the church’s central icon of Saint Agia Foteini was to be installed. Near the cypress tree outside the church, he saw a silver-white light radiating from the tree.
“It was like many swords of light radiating toward me. I believe it was Agia Foteini herself expressing her joy,” he says with a thoughtful smile.
At this point, I wanted to continue the discussion, but I noticed his voice starting to fade.
“I’m really tired now,” he says quietly. “I actually have thousands of things to tell, but I won’t manage it, so we’ll have to stop,” he apologizes.
The private tour and Kostas’ captivating stories opened up a new dimension for me, allowing me to see the church’s stones and symbols as expressions of humanity’s longing, faith, and creative spirit throughout history.
Perhaps the true value of Agia Foteini lies in the sense of eternity and presence that permeates every corner – a feeling Kostas has woven into every detail, where the human and the divine meet in a silent dialogue that continues long after the words have faded.
Kostas Papatheodorou
Born in 1937 in Chalkida, Greece. Even in high school, he dreamed of becoming an architect and began his education at the Technical University of Berlin, followed by studies in Vienna, completing his degree in architecture in Aachen, West Germany.
During his vacations, and even during his military service, he had the opportunity to study under Dimitris Pikionis, Greece’s most renowned architect with internationally acclaimed works. Kostas later worked at Greece’s Ministry of Culture before taking on the Agia Foteini project in Mantineia in 1968 – a lifelong endeavor he continues to this day, for example, by painting new icons for the church. He has also studied philosophy, theology, and mathematics.
Agia Foteini
The church building of Agia Foteini is owned by the Mantineia Society, founded in 1934 by representatives from seven villages in the area surrounding ancient Mantineia, north of Tripoli.
The decision to construct the church was made in 1966. The site chosen was a plot of land owned by the society, directly opposite the archaeological excavations.
In 1968, the project was assigned to the architect Kostas Papatheodorou, and the church’s foundation was laid in the autumn of 1970. Construction began in the spring of 1971 and was completed in 1974.
The church is divided into three sections. The central section is dedicated to Agia Foteini, the northern section to Agios Kosmas of Aetolia, and the southern section to Apostle Philip, which also features an icon of Agios Georgios.
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