The commemorative and honor celebrations for the 198th anniversary of the Exodus of the Free Besiegers culminate today and tomorrow in the Holy City of Messolonghi.

According to the Municipality, today a memorial service will be held at the monument of Philhellenes, in the Garden of Heroes and will be followed by the laying of wreaths. Wreaths will also be laid at the monument of Lord Byron, at the monument of Cypriot Agonists and at the monument of the Swiss Philhellene Ioannis – Jacobus Mager.

Still, it will be done memorial service at the monument of Bishop Rogios and Kozylis, Joseph, commemorating the 198th anniversary of his martyrdom, at the Windmill site.

At the same time, the transfer of the Icon of the Exodus, the Holy Lavaros and the Holy Cross of the Bishop of Roga and Kozylis, Iosif, from the Museum of History and Art – Gallery to the metropolitan church of Agios Spyridon will take place.

As part of the celebrations, the annual event of the Library of the Hellenic Parliament will take place at the Trikoupi family museum with the theme, “The Messolonghi swords: The besieged Messolonghi as a symbol of patriotism and cosmopolitanism”.

The speaker will be the professor of Constitutional Law of the Faculty of Law of the Greek Academy of Sciences, Spyros Vlachopoulos.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, the transfer of sacred relics from the Museum of History and Art – Gallery, to the metropolitan church of Agios Spyridon will take place.

One hour later, a procession will start from the metropolitan church in the Garden of Heroes and will be followed by the re-enactment of the detonation of mayor Christos Kapsalis.

Tomorrow morning a eulogy will be held in the metropolitan church of Agios Spyridon and then the procession to the Garden of Heroes will begin.

Afterwards, a trisago will be sung and wreaths will be laid on the tomb of the Free Sworn.

The meeting point after the Messolonghi Exit

The Holy Monastery of Agios Simeon was the meeting point of the Free Besiegers of Messollogi, who, arriving there, were ambushed by 2000 Turkalvans of Ibrahim. Those who resisted Ibrahim’s forces were killed, while the rest were taken as slaves in the east and burned the Monastery, ending the destruction.

The Monastery of Agios Simeon is built on the slopes of the wooded Arakynthos, between the Ancient Cities of Pleurona, Alygirna and Kalydona, near the village of Agios Thomas – Messolongio. The distance from Messolonghi is 9 kilometers, while from the intersection of the National Road Antirrio – Messolonghi 4 kilometers.