The oldest Christian religious building on the plateau of Feneos is the Palio Monastery, more widely known as the chapel of Saint Fanourios in the middle of Lake Doxa. The chapel was originally the church of the first monastery built in the Feneos plain in the 13th century AD, dedicated to Saint George.
In the 17th century (1693), Lake Doxa flooded the entire plain, forcing the monks to abandon the original monastery and build a new one at a higher location, beyond the reach of the waters from Olvios and the Doxa River. However, the original chapel of the old monastery remained intact over the centuries and was rededicated in 1991 to Saint Fanourios to prevent it from falling into disuse.
Simultaneously, the construction of the artificial lake with the dam on the former bed of the Doxa River and the preservation of the Byzantine chapel created a unique landscape: a narrow strip of land leading to an islet where the chapel stands untouched. This site is now known as the “Mouse Island of Corinthia”. According to the 6th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, it has been designated as a Byzantine monument and celebrates annually on August 27th.
Architecturally, the chapel does not display any particular interest, but in combination with the unparalleled natural beauty reflected in the waters of the lake, it creates a unique and idyllic image that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Over the past three decades, it has become the hallmark of the wider Feneos area!
