Church of Agios Andreas

Magnificent and imposing, the Holy or Cathedral Church of Agios Andreas (Saint Andrew) of Patras is a highly significant place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians, dedicated to the first-called Apostle of Jesus and considered a symbol of the Achaean capital.
Situated very close to the city’s historic center, on the beachfront and adjacent to the older church of Agios Andreas, the new church was founded in 1908, but was eventually inaugurated, owing to problems during its construction, 66 years later, in 1974.
It is a huge church, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the Balkans, with a 46-meter-high dome, whose top is adorned with a five-meter gilded cross, and its internal area exceeds 2000sqm. The church boasts as many as 12 impressive steeples, while its interior is decorated with Byzantine-style frescoes and mosaics.
The adjacent old temple was built between 1836 and 1843, while next to it, in an underground vaulted cave, a water source is preserved - in antiquity, it was believed to be the source of Demeter - whose water is considered to be holy, with miraculous and healing properties.
According to tradition, this was the place where the Apostle Andrew taught and was crucified. His relics, placed in a special reliquary, are kept in the temple, which celebrates on November 30, with crowds of believers honouring Patras’ patron saint.