VEDA WELLNESS

MONASTERY OF PAMMEGISTOI TAXIARCHES

Epidavros, Greece

Offered exclusively at our Greece Retreat

One of the oldest monasteries of Nea Epidaurus, it was founded in the 15th century and was property of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is worth mentioning that one of the founders was Monk Niphon, who became the first Archbishop of Thessaloniki in 1450 and subsequently the Patriarch of Constantinople, as well as illuminator and organizer of the Romanian church. He deceased in 1508 and was very soon acknowledged as a saint. His memory is celebrated on 11th of August. The contribution of the monastery to Greek people’s education was very significant during the Turkish occupation.

After the liberation, it housed the “Allilodidaktikon Scholion” (school where peer tutoring was implemented), even paying the teacher’s salary. The initial complex of buildings was quadrilateral with the small church of Pammegistoi Taxiarches at its centre, (7 x 3 m in dimension). This church was demolished in 1945 and was replaced by a small Byzantine cruciform church with a dome, with frescoes from Mount Athos. In a silver reliquary, in the catholicon of the holy monastery, the holy relics of Ossios Gabriel, assistant of Aghios Niphon, are kept.

Since 1945 it is a female monastery and 26 nuns live there today, who are engaged both in agricultural activities and handicrafts, such as embroideries, Byzantine hagiographies and needlework.