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
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