Monastery Simonos Petra

Founded: Middle of 14th century
Founder: Blessed Simon
Feast-day: 25th of December
Library: Very few manuscripts due the to a fire in the 17th century
Collection: Portable icons of the 14th century. Art objects of wood-carving and metallurgy

Further south along the south-western coast and after the habour of Dafne , pops up suddenly, as if hanging by stone heigh above ,the towered monastery of Simonos Petras. Founded on an abrupt rock, so much as 300 metres above the sea, it seems to dify the laws of gravity and built beyond the limits of human labour. This is something only someone understands better when he dares to climb up from the tarsana towards the monastery .

A definition in the file of the Abbey Saint Panteleimonos, indicating the Abbey of "Simonos" in two documents dating back to the 11th and 12th century, led students to the opinion that the Abbey has ancient roots , and that after a long period of dissappearance (desolation), it was revived by Osio Simona ,who's name proves the initial owner. This opinion presupposes that no other abbey preexisted with the same name in another area. Other students consider that there were two different monasteries with the same name. According to the Life of Osio Simonos the admired reconstruction on the steep rock was attempted after a divine indication: a star lowered and shone above on the Stone, and from then on it also aquired the name "New Bethlehem".

The chrysobull of Ioannis Ouglesis,which was published near 1368 and is saved in reliable condition , convinces that the Serb souvereign was the next owner (after Osios Simonas ). According to this text, he asked for authorisation from the Sinaxis in order to erect buildings on that "deserted place".

The work took place in the decade 1360, but traces of the first erection are barely visible nowadays because of the destructions and the repeated renovations that followed: the Abbey, built as a fortress high above on the rock, could easily escape pirate threats, but it could not be rescued from the disaster of fire. According to remembrances written on a manuscript, fires burst out, in 1580,.1592, 1625 etc.... Particularly devastating for the Abbey was the fire of 1891. The weakness in reestablishment from these catastrophies , led to the creation of the idiorythmic way of monastic life for many years.During the last centuries it went through a lot of stages : from wretched poverty and desolation to rich and prosperous. The buildings, that determine the architectural form of Simonos Petras , are work that took place between 1862-1902, as they are certified by the wall signs. But not absent are material evidences of older building phases, that reach far back to the Byzantine period.

Monastery Pandokratoros

Founded: Middle of 14th century
Founder: Alexios and Ioannis
Feast-day: 6th of August
Library: 350 manuscripts of which the Psalter and the Gospel of Kalyvitis stand out.
Collection: Icons from 14th to 19th century

The monastery Pandokratoros is built along the NE coast of the peninsula, on a rocky hillside facing the mouth of the Chrisoroa River. A more beautiful view of the Abbey is from the southern hills, where the road to Karies passes through: there are small unfolded gulves and the graphic port with the small huts that continue gradually over to other buildings between trees and green gardens.

As for foundation,G. Smirnakis believes that it was founded during the reign of Alexios Komninos the 1st (1081-1118). From written testimonies of the monasterial files and in agreement with signed material,founders were two brothers: "Megas Sir Alexios "and" highly respected Ioannis ", which means that they were superiors from the Byzantine state. Ioannis wrote in his will,while staying in the Monastery in 1384. According to oral history, he was so overwhelmed by the solitary form of life that he stayed and received the name Ioannikios. From their distinguished work in the new catholic, the piece that stood out is the icon of Pantokratoros (He who carries all), that is kept nowadays in the Ermitage museum in Petersburg. It brings the signs: "Gift from God's servant Alexios the great General " and "Gift from God's servant Ioannis ......", dated back to the decade 1360-1370. When it was being built, it was already under the protection of the Patriarch, and remained so until 1386, when it was placed under the protection of the king (Royal).

Its grounds have an indecisive six-sided form that resulted from the enlargement of the initial courtyard. East of the entrance to the Abbey, there is a lily plant with a sign that says: " "My Good source, the body and at the same time the mind, as I wish, refreshed". Two signs in the Abbey, inform us about two serious renovations in the 18th century: a big part of the western wing, including the dining room (1744), and the north wing (1781). The Eastern wing was renovated after a fire in 1948.

From the worthy icons in the treasury, we will only report a few more well known, the two famous icons of the 14th century: Christ Pantokratoros (He who carries all)-Saint Athanassios the Athonite and Saint John the Precursor - Virgin Mary Vrefokratousa(She who holds her baby),Saint Ioannis Prodromos the painted wooden Cross and the Crucifixion.

Big historical value also has the 'element' (metohi) the abbey has in the region of Karies, known as the cell of "Ravdouho", which was added to the Abbey's assets by the two brothers, in 1357. In this cell are safe kept, from when the monastery was very small in size, the reconstructed temple and the tower.

Monastery Agios Panteleimonos

Founded: Beginning of 11th century
Founder: Unknown (from Thessaloniki)
Feast-day: 27th of July
Library: 1300 Greek manuscripts and 600 Slavic manuscripts
Collection: The iconostasis and the frescoes of the Russian School (19th century)

The Abbey of St. Panteleimonos is built more closer to Karies on the SW side of the coast.Its architecture, differs compared to all the other monasteries: a number of multi storied buildings, scattered round the narrower initial grounds, show that they violated the initial provision of the Abbeys. They are buildings from the 19th century and upto the beginning of the 20th with a newer view for the Mt.Athos structural perception and form. The most characteristic however and declaration of the nationality of monks that live there is the form of the bulb-type domes.

The Abbey with the name St. Panteleimonos was transported to this place during the 18th century. Russians first appear on Mt. Athos during the 11th century. In a document dated back to 1016 it was refered to as the "abbey of Rouson". However, the history of this Abbey shows initiative in 1169, when the Abbey of Xilourgos (Carpenter), which for the first time was named "Abbey of Rouson ", was granted the Abbey of Thesalonikeos / St. Panteleimonos in order not to be ruined,in the spot where the current "Paleomonastiro"(old monastery ) stands . After this concession, the name of "Thessalonikeos" prevails slowly - slowly to: " Of The Rouson" or " The Rouson". For one entire century after this manning ,not one document was saved from its files. As it appears,they had been burned, at all probability by the Katalonians -together with the Monastery.

During the 14th century the presence of Serbs is particularly perceptible in the Abbey, therefore we see it accepting the benefactions of the Serbian King Stefanos Dusan, also by the Byzantine leaders Ioannis 5th and Manouel 2nd . The Greek presence is also testified . Only at the end of the 14th century are the relations between Russians with Mt. Athos restored, however in the beginning of 15th century the Serbian element appears to be redundant.What ever the case all representatives of this abbey signed in Greek after the 2nd half of the 15th century. Russian souvereigns show interest after the exemption of Russia from the Moggolian Occupation in 1480.

During the 2nd half of the 16th century, the Abbey is presented half deserted , for one decade deserted, and by the end in wretched poverty. Such misfortunate situations accompany it through the 17th century and until the middle of the 18th century. The Russian monk Vasilios Barski finds the Abbey in 1744 devastated and the Russian presence only in name,since he did not find one Russian monk living there .

In 1760-65 the Monastery is transported to the new, current place, where it began an effort in rectification. In 1803 the cenobitic way of life is restored with first abbot, Sava Peloponnesian, who helped considerably with the restablishment of the Abbey.

Decisive importance for her appointment was the brave sponsoring of Skarlatou Kallimahi, a Moldovlahian souvereign. The sign in typical agioritiko catholic - even in the form of the dome - (1812-1821) cites his subscription: "this the Gods and....... temple of Saint Panteleimonos was erected from pedestals, as well as.....holy and respectfully ,this Abbey selected Russian, under...".

After the absence of the Russian element for about a century later, in 1835 began the massive attendance of new monks from Russia, so that by the middle of the 19th century Greek and Russian monks are equal in number. It is then established the performance of sequences would be alternately in Greek and in Russian. The 2nd half of the 19th century is characterized by the increase of Russians (and the construction of the enormous buildings that were mentioned at the beginning ), with tendencies of predominance throughout the entire monastic republic.

Monastery Osiou Grigoriou

Founded: Beginning of 11th century
Founder: Unknown (from Thessaloniki)
Feast-day: 27th of July
Library: 1300 Greek manuscripts and 600 Slavic manuscripts
Collection: The iconostasis and the frescoes of the Russian School (19th century)

The Monastery Osiou Grigoriou is located directly southeast of Simonos Petras .It seems raised on a rocky, multifarious piece of land and as if a powerful hand is holding it in place . At the end of the well constructed pebbled street which begins down by the tarsana and runs through a thick cypress forest,is the smalll marble entance to the courtyard.

The foundation of this Abbey was in the beginning of the 14th century and is attributed to Osios Grigorios the Young who was a student of the well known religious teacher Grigorios of Sinaitou. The first indications that certify its existence, are seen in documents from the first half of the 14th century. Positive information of its following history is absent to us for a big interval.Sure news was reported in 1500,claiming there was devastating arsony, extermination of monks and desolation of the Abbey, after wild piratical raids. However, later in a document of the Sinaxis in 1513, there are reports on the reconstruction of new buildings, with sponsoring from the then souvereign of Moldavia Stefanos and the guardianship of the abbot Spiridonos.During this period (16th century) it is also reported that the northern (bisector two pipe) wing with the old pylon, the belltower, the tower and others were built .A series of documents from the 17th century,are based on the delimitation of its region of belongings that stretch north further inland and as far as to the adjacent abbey of Esfigmenou on the other side of the peninsula.

The Russian monk and pilgrim of Mount Athos Vasili Barski, gives an interesting description on the shape of the Monastery before the middle of the 18th century. In 1761 a big fire burned most of the buildings and destroyed the catholic. For her rectification, leading role had the monk and guard Ioakim Vesmintarios. The reconstruction of the new catholic began around I 770. Serious damage was also caused to the Abbey from the Greek Revolution in 1821, when installed there, as well as in other abbeys, were teams of Turks (who burnt old books etc). Towards the end of the 19th century new buildings were erected in the west and in the north, which, surrounding a new courtyard, contributed in the almost doubling of the preexisting Abbey (eg the arhontariki: 1892, the new gateway entrance in the shape of a square : 1896). the buildings in the Tarsana have been transformed into guest houses and quarters , because of the insufficiency of space inside the Abbey. Among the wearthy heirlooms that this monastery has ,we must report the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, known within the abbey as the Virgin Mary of Paleologinas ,similar to the icon of Odigitrias(She who leads) , on which the words "In honor of the respected Lady Maria Asaninas Paleologinas ,Lady of Moldovlahias"are quoted.