Surveying of the Agios Nikolaos Church, Nea Figalia

Following a proposal by the Coordinator of the Scientific Council of our Movement Argyris Petronotis, the President Giannis Tsiaousis met, in April 2015, with the Professors of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Peloponnese (former TEI of Western Greece, Patras) Mss. Despina Lagogianni and Anastasia Georgiadi, architect engineers specializing in monument restorations. They discussed the form of cooperation between Anthi Tis Petras and the respective Department and set the protection of traditional architecture and the participation of the students of the Department in the surveying program for educational purposes as a common denominator. As a result, the two Professors along with a group of students surveyed the Agios Nikolaos Church of Nea Figalia. The surveying material forms part of the students' dissertation. Anthi Tis Petras financed the accommodation and catering expenses of the students and will receive as a "reward" the surveying material and a copy of their dissertations

The opening day of the 1st Stone Workshop on the morning of August 1, 2017 was marked by an impressive start. Early in the morning, the teams of trainers and trainees visited an old quarry at Agios Charalambos, near the eastern entrance of Lagadia, where they mined stone in the traditional way (crowbar, sledgehammer). This was followed by a reenactment of the loading of the animals, while the trainees symbolically carried a stone, undertaking the task to carve it. Afterwards, all participants went to the workshop area, where foundation works, mud making, stone carving and the first construction works began.

The first day of the Stone Workshop was concluded last night with the lecture session. The session began with the greeting of the President Giannis Tsiaousis who welcomed the guests, the trainers, the trainees and the numerous friends of Anthi Tis Petras who swarmed the new conference room at the Maniatis Hotels. This was followed by the presentations of Vassilis Ganiatsas, Manolis Korres, Argyris Petronotis and George Petrakis who presented a detailed picture of the history, the characteristics and the importance of the art of stone and made suggestions regarding the creation of an art of stone training school in Lagadia. The high quality presentations provided multiple stimuli for discussion and the active participation of the trainees was impressive. The session was attended by the Deputy Head of the Region Ang. Papangelopoulos, the President of the Regional Council of the Techical Chamber of Greece (TEE-Regional Unit of Peloponnese) An. Spiliopoulos, the Director of the Epidaurus School of Stone Carving Theod. Antonopoulou and others.

During the five days of the Workshop, trainers and trainees participated with admirable enthusiasm, will and perseverance to discover the secrets of the art of stone. Many visitors from different parts of Greece came to the Workshop area, expressed their excitement for the unique atmosphere that prevailed and praised the initiative undertaken by Anthi Tis Petras. The participation of people from all generations in the 1st Stone Workshop was really impressive. Nonetheless, the passion of young children, who came to the Workshop area early in the morning and did their best in stone carving, was not only impressive but moving. And all this taking place under the watchful eyes of the old craftsmen who witnessed their art be reborn and, after several decades, heard once more the sound of sledgehammers (matrakades), chisels and hammers.

The completion of the Workshop took place in the atrium of KEP with the presentation of the projects, the submission of proposals by trainers and trainees and the drawing of the first conclusions by Vassilis Ganiatsas, President of the Scientific Committee and Professor of the NTUA School of Architecture. The closing ceremony ended with the greeting of the Deputy Mayor Mr. Nikitas and the award of certificates of attendance to the trainees by Professor Emeritus Argyris Petronotis. Ms. Fotopoulou, Director of the Directorate of Modern Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Sports also attended.

The program of the 1st Stone Workshop was particularly demanding and intensive. Despite the long hours of practical training and the rich theoretical part, there were many human moments that connected the participants with each other as well as with the local community. The result of this relationship was reflected both in the works that decorate the atrium of KEP and will commemorate the first attempt to revive the apprenticeship in the art of stone, but also in the memories of all those who hung around together during the breaks of the workshop, the tours in the settlement, the small excursions and night meetings in the taverns and bars. The Workshop was the first big test for the operation of an art of stone training school! And it was very successful! And there’s more to come…

The enthusiasm and the strong desire of trainees and trainers to participate actively in the activities of the 2nd Stone Workshop are prevalent from the first day of the workshop. It started with the stone carving seminar on Monday morning, was followed by the 1st Seminar in the afternoon of the same day with the lessons on traditional bridge construction and, in the afternoon, the lectures of the 1st seminar –A. Petronotis on traditional stone bridges and S. Nomikos on pre-industrial mill architecture– took place. On Tuesday morning, the trainees participated in the completion of a stone construction (corner-window) from last year's workshop, and in the afternoon of the same day, the series of seminars was completed with two lectures on the contribution of the Lagadia craftsmen to 19th century church building (A. Georgiadi) and on traditional architecture in the rural landscape (A. Paraskevopoulou). The high level of proposals and of the discussion that followed –coordinated by Professor V. Ganiatsas– as well as the excellent technical training of the craftsmen-trainers, strongly motivated the trainees to participate actively and enthusiastically.