Holy Monastery of Rousanou
Going up from the village of Kastraki towards Meteora, between the monasteries of Saint Nikolaos Anapavsa and Varlaam, is the Holy Monastery of Rousanos. The monastery is built on an impressive and theoretic pen, the surface of which is covered by it. Around it spreads the unique stone forest of Meteora and the mountain masses of Koziakas and Pindos in the background. The origin of its name is unknown, but the possible theory points out that it was named after the first inhabitant of the rock or the owner of the first temple. The rock was already known as the rock of Rousanos from the beginning of the 16th century when the founders Ioasaph and Maximos settled. They rebuilt the then abandoned monastery in the 14th century, acquiring its current form. In 1545, the Gianniot brothers built the catholicon, which is dedicated, even today, to the Transfiguration of the Savior and honors Saint Barbara. The katholikon is a cruciform, dichronic, saint-type church with a liti (narthex with a dome), an almost square space covered with a slightly elliptical dome. It consists of a three-story complex, with the katholikon and cells on the ground floor, reception areas (arhontariki), other cells, and auxiliary spaces on the additional two feet. The temple was consecrated in 1560. It was a refuge for countless people during the nation's adventures. During the 19th century, the monastery declined and became a hermitage for the monks of the Varlaam monastery. It was restored, in the 1980s, by the Archaeological Service of the region, and today it functions as a nunnery. The ascent to the monastery used to be done with a windlass, while today, it is done with the help of a ladder and two solid bridges, which were built in 1930 and replaced the older wooden bridge built in 1868. To enter the monastery, men are required not to wear sleeves, blouses, and shorts above the knee and women's long skirts below the knee.
Summer Hours of Operation:
Monday: 09:00-16:00
Tuesday: 9:00-16:00
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 9:00-16:00
Friday: 9:00-16:00
Saturday: 9:00-16:00
Sunday: 9:00-16:00
Winter Hours of Operation:
Monday: 9:00-14:00
Tuesday: 9:00-14:00
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 9:00-14:00
Friday: 9:00-14:00
Saturday: 9:00-14:00
Sunday: 9:00-14:00
Contact Phone: 2432022649
Holy Monastery of Holy Trinity
Holy Monastery ofI Holy Trinity
Built on an invisible rock, we find the Holy Monastery of Agia Triada. Even though there were references to the monastery from 1362, according to the prevailing opinion, it was built by the monk Dometios in 1438. The oldest building phase of the monastery is represented by the current katholikon, which was built, as we are informed by the relevant inscription, the year 1456 to 1476, and is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The priest Antonios and his brother Nikolaos painted the church in 1741, during the reign of Metropolitan Theofanis of Stagon and the power of Abbot Parthenios. The monastery's katholikon is of the cross-inscribed type with a dome supported by two columns. In 1689, a small sacristy was created in the southeast corner of the church. The wide narthex, with its vaulted ceiling, was built in 1689 and painted in 1692. The rock-cut chapel of Saint John the Baptist has frescoes from 1682. It was in the form of a rotunda and contained important treasures which the Germans took during World War II. To the left of the entrance is the tower of the brizon and the bank, and on the opposite are the cells. Behind the katholikon, at the highest point of the rock, there is an exterior. At the foot of the rock, the city of Kalampaka expands to the south, with the Pinei river lazily stretching out. The monastery of Saint Triados had very few monks who collectively did not exceed 20 and thus remained uninhabited from 1942 AD to 1961 AD. In 1972, the Archaeological Service undertook its renovation. In the old days, access to the monastery was carried out with a net or a winding ladder. In 1925, 140 steps were created that led to the beautiful monastery, combined with a narrow path. During 1970 AD, an aerial transporter (cable car) was also built, contributing to its easier access. To enter the monastery, men are required not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee and women long skirts below the knee.
Summer
Monday 9:00-16:00
Tuesday 9:00-16:00
Wednesday 9:00-16:00
Thursday closed
Friday 9:00-16:00
Saturday 9:00-16:00
Sunday 9:00-16:00
Winter
Monday 10:00-16:00
Tuesday 10:00-16:00
Wednesday 10:00-16:00
Thursday closed
Friday 10:00-16:00
Saturday 10:00-16:00
Sunday 10:00-16:00
CONTACT PHONE: 2432022220
Holy Monastery Transfiguration of the Savior (Great Meteoro)
The Holy Transfiguration Monastery of Sotiros, otherwise known as Megalo Meteoro, is the largest and oldest monastery and belongs to the UNESCO world heritage site. It is a male monastery founded around the 14th century by Athanasios, the Meteorite. He built a temple dedicated to the Virgin called Panagia is Meteoritissa Petra. At the same time, its second founder and successor was the student of Athanasios, Ioannis Uresis Palaiologos, who became a monk there under the name Ioasaf. In 1387-1388, he built a new and more modern than the previous temple in place of temple. Athanasios and Joasaph are ranked among the Saints and are honored on April 20. The monastery, with the seal of Patriarch Jeremiah I, gained total independence, like the monasteries on Mount Athos. At a short distance from the monastery's gate, there is the tower of the brizon, in which there was the mechanism for the net, and the cellar of the sanctuary (vagenarium), which today functions as a museum. Then there is the hearth, the dining room, with the hospital and nursing home to the east and the catholicon to the right. The katholikon was created in 1544-1545 and was dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior. Its frescoes are believed to be of the Macedonian school. Next to the holy platform is the vaulted chapel of the Holy Forerunner, and to the southwest is the chapel of Saints Constantine and Helen, built-in 1789. Above the monastery are the chapels of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, Saints Apostles, and Saint Nektarios. Impressive is the sacristy, which contains pieces of the skulls of the monks who lived there. George, a student of Theophanos of Crete, probably created the frescoes of the temple and the narthex. The Great Meteoron, both in ancient times and today, is the main center of monasticism. To enter the monastery, men are required not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee and women long skirts below the knee.
HOURS OF OPERATION:
SUMMER TIME:
MONDAY 9:00-15:00
TUESDAY Closed
WEDNESDAY 9:00-15:00
THURSDAY 9:00-15:00
FRIDAY 9:00-15:00
SATURDAY 9:00-15:00
SUNDAY 9:00-15:00
WINTER PERIOD:
MONDAY 9:00-14:00
TUESDAY Closed
WEDNESDAY Closed
THURSDAY Closed
FRIDAY 9:00-14:00
SATURDAY 9:00-14:00
SUNDAY 9:00-14:00
CONTACT PHONE: 24320 22278
Holy Monastery of Saint Nikolaos Anapafsas
Leaving behind the picturesque village of the Municipality of Meteora, Kastraki, and going up towards Meteora, we come across the male Holy Monastery of Saint Nikolaos Anapausas. We do not have much information about this particular monastery. The monastery was renovated at the beginning of the 16th century AD. by Saint Dionysios Metropolitan of Larissa and by Hieromonk Nikanoras. It operated non-stop until around 1900 when it was finally abandoned. In 1690, the monastery was restored by the Archaeological Service and inhabited until 1980. In 1997, the monastery began to function normally until today. Going up to the monastery's first floor, we come across the chapel of Saint Antonios, as well as a crypt in which rare objects and manuscripts were kept, which were transferred to the Holy Monastery of Saint Stefanos. On this floor, there is also the mansion that functions as a reception area. On the second floor is the Holy Monastery of Saint Nikolaos, while on the third floor is the old bank of the monastery, which contains works by Strelitzas, just like the monastery of Saint Nikolaos. There is also the ancient ossuary of the monastery as well as the chapel of Saint Ioannis Prodromos. At the top of the rock is placed the stone bell tower. In the past, access to the monastery was via a hanging wooden staircase with 62 steps. Today, 80 carved steps have been constructed that make climbing the monastery easy. To enter the monastery, men are required not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee and women long skirts below the knee.
Holy Monastery of Barlaam
Opposite the monastery of Megalo Meteoros is the men's Holy Monastery of Varlaam or All Saints. The monastery was built at the beginning of the 16th century by the hieromonks Nektarios and Theofanis, descendants of the prominent and wealthy Byzantine family of the Apsarades from Ioannina. It was inhabited for the first time, in the first half of the 14th century, by the contemporary of Saint Athanasios, the Meteorite ascetic-retired Barlaam, from whom the monastery took its name. The Apsarades, in 1518, renovated the chapel of the Three Hierarchs, which was built on the site of the original katholikon monastery built by Barlaam. In 1541 they made the current katholikon which is dedicated to All Saints. The katholikon of the sanctuary is a cruciform inscribed Athonite church. In 1536 they built the prison tower. In 1627 the chapel of the Three Hierarchs was rebuilt on the site of the old catholicon that the Apsarades had made, and in 1637, it was painted with a painting by the artistic crew of priest Ioannis and his children, who came from Kalambaka. The iconography of the monastery's katholikon took place in three phases. Initially, in 1548, the frescoes of the holy step and the main church were painted by the famous iconographer Fragos Catalanos. Then, in 1566, the austerity was painted by the Theban hagiographers Georgios Kontaris and his brother Fragos with the sponsorship of Antonio Apsaras, bishop of Vellas of Ioannina. The last phase of the decoration (1780 and 1782), which is witnessed by the foundational inscription on the north-western pesso above the representation of the Virgin Mary, probably refers to a small-scale intervention in which prominent elements are not discernible. The contribution of the monk Christophoros was significant; who, during the 18th century, classified its valuable archive and copied a set of historical texts. Northwest of the katholikon is the bank, which houses relics, the chapel of the Three Hierarchs, the hearth, the cells, and the guest house. On the other side, towards the entrance, is the hospital and the chapel of Saints Anargyro. To enter the monastery, men are required not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee and women long skirts below the knee.
Summer
Monday 9:00-16:00
Tuesday 9:00-16:00
Wednesday 9:00-16:00
Thursday 9:00-16:00
Friday Closed
Saturday 9:00-16:00
Sunday 9:00-16:00
Winter
Monday 9:00-15:00
Tuesday 9:00-15:00
Wednesday 9:00-15:00
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday 9:00-15:00
Sunday 9:00-15:00
CONTACT PHONE: 2432022277
Holy Monastery of Saint Stefanou
Above the town of Kalambaka, we find the women's monastery of Saint Stefanos, since 1961, the only one that does not have steps, as access is via a small bridge. According to the old tradition, this monastery is connected with female monasticism. Monks inhabited the rock of the monastery of Saint Stefanos at the end of the 12th century. According to information that today cannot be confirmed, the first founder of the monastery, in 1911-1912, appears to be the ascetic Jeremias. The building composition of the monastery was founded in the 14th century and completed in the 15th and 16th k. The first owner of the monastery is its monk and abbot, Antonios Kantakouzinos. The second owner is the monk Philotheos "from Sklataina," who is mentioned as a restorer "from the foundations" of Agios Stefanos. In 1545, the monastery became stauropigian until 1743. Theophilos rebuilt from scratch the old katholikon, located southeast of the precinct, and the bank that houses the monastery's vault museum. The old katholikon is now used exclusively for the religious use of the monks. It is open for worship only on the two days of the year the monastery celebrates (December 27 and February 10) and is a small one-room street church with a liti. The monastery was painted in two phases. The frescoes of the first phase were donated by the abbot of the monastery Mitrophanou and by the hieromonk Grigoriou. The frescoes of the second phase were made by the painter priest Nikolaos of Kastrisio, at the initiative of the abbot of the monastery Grigoriou, in the 17th century. In 1798, the new catholicon was created in the northwestern part of the precinct. It belongs to the three-bay cruciform inscribed temple type with a spacious apse on its western side and a porch along the northern side of the temple. It was dedicated to Saint Charalambos from the 17th century. He is mentioned as the second patron of the monastery. He built the cells, which are located on both sides of the entrance, as well as other auxiliary areas of the sanctuary. The frescoes of the new katholikon were done by the well-known icon painter of our time, Vlasis Tsotsonis. The hearth, a small square vaulted building, the stable, and other monastery areas are in the eastern part of the enclosure. The monastery took its current form with the buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries. To enter the sanctuary, men are required not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee and women long skirts below the knee.
Summer
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Wednesday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Thursday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Friday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Saturday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Sunday 9:00-13:30 & 15:30-17:30
Winter
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
Wednesday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
Thursday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
Friday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
Saturday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
Sunday 9:30-13:00 & 15:00-17:00
CONTACT PHONE: 2432022279