The church of the patron saint of Arta and a pillar are the only salvaged parts of the monastery founded in the 13thcentury by the queen of the Despotate, Theodora.
It was founded in honor of St. George and functioned as a convent for nuns.
After the death of her husband, Theodora lived as a nun in the monastery, was buried there and the church is dedicated to her name.
This temple is the most «live» connection of today’s Arta with the Byzantine Arta, since apart from the building, we have the «presence» of the Queen of the Despotate herself, the patron Saint Theodora.
In the interior, the church retains much from its old sculptured and written decoration.
To the left of the southern entrance lies the tomb of Saint Theodora. The tomb retains its old position but not its original form. It was remodelled in 1873 when the translation of the relics of the Saint occurred and it was then that its present appearance.
