Metochi Mariskin Dionysiou Monastery (Nea Fokea) - Metochi Mariskin Dionysiou Monastery (Nea Fokea)

Metochi Mariskin or Dionysiou Monastery of Dionysiou (Agios Ioannis Prodromos Church) (Nea Fokea) The monastery of Dionysiou acquired the Paleochorion Mariskin together with arable land in Kassandra in 1408 with a donation by John VII Palaiologos. The monastery organized its acquisitions in the area in an agricultural metochi, thanks to the support of the despot Andronikos Paleologos. In 1415 Andronikos Palaiologos, son of Manuel V., took over as despot of Thessaloniki. The new ruler also continued the effort to strengthen Kassandra. One of his first concerns was the organization of an olive grove in the area of ​​Nea Fokea, part of the monastery of Agios Pavlos, which is the first systematic olive grove of Halkidiki outside Mount Athos, after the cessation of olive cultivation in the 6th-7th century. From a document of the same year (1415) it is known that the saltworks in Gerani of Kassandra was already operating, which most likely, its exploitation would have started much earlier. Shortly after 1418, Andronikos built a tower in "Mariskin" (somewhere near the Rural Prison of Kassandra), in order to live there when he visited Kassandra. It is characteristic that the construction of the tower was an obligation of the monastery of Dionysiou, to which a large estate was donated there, in 1408. In 1420 the metochi included more than 10 pairs of land, which were cultivated by locals. The metochi was kept in the possession of the monastery even after the Ottoman conquest, until the 20th century. Today the monastery owns a church dedicated to Agios Ioannis Prodromos in the area of ​​Nea Fokea. The Metochi of Dionysios Kassandras, which also bore the name "Mariskin" (must be dated to the 14th century) was declared expropriated by the 47/1932 Decision of the Expropriation Committee of Halkidiki (EAX). Its area was 7,573,955 acres. It included a building complex that consisted of the following buildings: Housekeeper with 12 rooms measuring 4 by 4 meters, 7 collegiate rooms 5 by 6 m., Apartment as a blacksmith 4 by 6 m., Apartment as a dairy 4 by 5 m., Oven 8 for 5 m., Stable 6 by 10, second 6 by 7 and 2 more 10 by 30 m., Barn 25 by 10 m., Storage 6 by 2 and second 10 by 20 m., Kitchen 8 by 5 m. & Church 5 by 4 m. The above buildings were considered necessary for the rehabilitation of the refugees of Nea Fokea and were deemed expropriable together with the rest of the area of ​​Metochi. The Metochi was granted in its entirety by the above Decision to the Greek State as a substitute for the Refugee Rehabilitation Committee (EAP) (Law 5377). The process took place in the presence of a representative of the refugees and the Holy Monastery with the monk Charalambos Dionysiatis. The Greek State was not represented. The practice of usufruct was valid for the Monastery, as no evidence was presented here. Thus the Monastery was considered the owner by 4/5, while for 1/5 the Greek state was considered the owner. GPS (Latitude & Longitude): 40.133235, 23.354689