Agios Ioannis Prodromos
The church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos is located at southwest of the Castle of Kalamata, on the Villehardouinou Street.
The present church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos is the successor of the Byzantine church in the same area, which was finally abandoned – since Orlov revolt in 1770 and 1825 on Ibrahim’s time and it had been damaged – after the earthquakes of 1844. It was founded in the 1860s, the period that they were built in Kalamata, the church of Ypapanti and Agios Nicolaos Flarios.
Probably the solemn doxology for the liberation of Kalamata from the Turks took place on 23 March 1821 in the old church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, as well as the doxology for the transfer of the capital of the prefecture of Messenia, from Kyparissia to Kalamata in 1835.
The cross-shaped and constructed in accordance with the early Greek-byzantine style church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos is a wonderful example of neoclassical architecture of the second half of the 19th century.
The church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos is considered the oldest parish church of Kalamata and celebrates on 7th of January, while it also has the icon of Virgin Mary Mirtidiotissa of the early 19th century.
