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Description
The Church of Agia (Saint) Theodora is located in the village of Vastas in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece.

Saint Theodora, was an 11th century Byzantine citizen. When the area was raided by bandits, Theodora was determined to help defend her village, but as a woman it was unthinkable to do so. Not to be deterred, Theodora secretly disguised herself as a male soldier in order to join the defense. Unfortunately, Theodora did not survive, and as she lay dying she uttered the following words:
Let my body become a church
My blood a river
My hair the forest

The villagers, moved by her bravery and her untimely demise, built a church at the site of her grave. Legend has it that a local river re-routed to pass directly under the church. Eventually, trees sprouted from the roof of the church, the roots of which are not visible under the roof and neither inside or outside the church. Currently the church has 17 enormous holy maple trees growing on its roof. Most of them are taller than 30 meters and weigh almost one tone. Saint Theodora has become an important saint of the Greek Orthodox Church and the site has become important for religious pilgrims and site-seers alike.

Many researchers have spent years studying this structure, even X-raying the walls, but have no explanation for the roots of the trees. In 2003, a geophysical report was presented at the 4th Symposium of Archaeometry in Greece. The results of this investigation proved that the roots followed the gaps existing inside the stone wall of the chapel creating repulsion stresses between the stones and thus reaching the ground.

The entire building is under considerable pressure due to the large load of the trees and it is a miracle that after hundreds of years, the chapel survives with no damage to the structure or to the trees. A spring comes out from underneath the chapel and irrigates the trees.

Description
The Church of Agia (Saint) Theodora is located in the village of Vastas in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece.

Saint Theodora, was an 11th century Byzantine citizen. When the area was raided by bandits, Theodora was determined to help defend her village, but as a woman it was unthinkable to do so. Not to be deterred, Theodora secretly disguised herself as a male soldier in order to join the defense. Unfortunately, Theodora did not survive, and as she lay dying she uttered the following words:
Let my body become a church
My blood a river
My hair the forest

The villagers, moved by her bravery and her untimely demise, built a church at the site of her grave. Legend has it that a local river re-routed to pass directly under the church. Eventually, trees sprouted from the roof of the church, the roots of which are not visible under the roof and neither inside or outside the church. Currently the church has 17 enormous holy maple trees growing on its roof. Most of them are taller than 30 meters and weigh almost one tone. Saint Theodora has become an important saint of the Greek Orthodox Church and the site has become important for religious pilgrims and site-seers alike.

Many researchers have spent years studying this structure, even X-raying the walls, but have no explanation for the roots of the trees. In 2003, a geophysical report was presented at the 4th Symposium of Archaeometry in Greece. The results of this investigation proved that the roots followed the gaps existing inside the stone wall of the chapel creating repulsion stresses between the stones and thus reaching the ground.

The entire building is under considerable pressure due to the large load of the trees and it is a miracle that after hundreds of years, the chapel survives with no damage to the structure or to the trees. A spring comes out from underneath the chapel and irrigates the trees.