The Monastery of Saint Meletis
The Monastery of Saint Meletis
The Monastery of Saint Meletis
Previous
Next
Description
To the north of Oinoi, on the southeast side of Pastra at an altitude of 520 meters, in a pine-covered area, lies the monastery of St. Meletios, which enchants visitors with its stunning views available to the plain of Oinoi and mountains of Kitheron and Pastra.Established in the second about half of the 11th century by Saint Meletios, fan of complete landlessness, who founded another 24 dependencies due to the large number of believers and students who had gathered around him. The dependencies are located in various areas of Attica and few survive today. The choice of this anhydrous and completely deserted place -in gnarled term Kitheronas at the boundary of Attica and Viotia near Myoupoli, which coincides with the ancient Oinoi-is due to the effort of Meletios to live isolated in order to devote himself to the ascetic life integral .Nevertheless, immediately after installation, crowds of believers began to flock there. Thus, some cells were constructed. Over time, the monastery began to expand. Emperor Alexios Komninos A, in fact gave to the monastery of St. Meletios privileges and revenues from Attica taxes.
Thus, Saint Meletios managed to develop spiritual and charitable activities of the monastery. The church of the monastery was erected in the 12th century; it is a cruciform small church. Some fragments of wall paintings are the only witnesses of the original painted decoration of the 12th century. In the nave and unadorned -the spacious narthex of monastic temples- frescoes dating from the 17th century. At this point I will refer indicatively to some of the paralafria, the dependencies, annexes that is- of St. Meletios Monastery in Western Attica. One of these is Zoodohos Pigi at village Pyli (formerly Dervenosalesi) of the late 12th century, which must have been known as the Monastery of Sterna. Also, the two churches of St. George in Erythres (Kriekouki) and Pournari at Oinoi, both standing today, were paralafria of the monastery. The church in Kriekouki, built in the 12th century, saves a lot of good art murals of 1790. A fourth paralafrio of the monastery of St. Meletios was Agia Paraskevi at Pournari in Oinoi, built in the 12th century and is now in ruins. Finally, west of the monastic complex of St. Meletios, in virgin pine forest, there is a chapel of the 12th century, dedicated to Saint Theodoros. One of the capitals of this temple, dating back to the 12th century, stands in the yard of the monastery of St.Meletios. The scholars derive data about the history of the monastery of the two lives of St. Meletios, written by his contemporary, Theodore Prodromos and Bishop of Methoni Nicholas, 36 years after the saint's death in 1141, when the monastery numbered 300 monks. Furthermore, many elements are resulting from the correspondence of Michael Choniates, the learned Metropolitan of Athens, with the abbot of the monastery.
Thus, Saint Meletios managed to develop spiritual and charitable activities of the monastery. The church of the monastery was erected in the 12th century; it is a cruciform small church. Some fragments of wall paintings are the only witnesses of the original painted decoration of the 12th century. In the nave and unadorned -the spacious narthex of monastic temples- frescoes dating from the 17th century. At this point I will refer indicatively to some of the paralafria, the dependencies, annexes that is- of St. Meletios Monastery in Western Attica. One of these is Zoodohos Pigi at village Pyli (formerly Dervenosalesi) of the late 12th century, which must have been known as the Monastery of Sterna. Also, the two churches of St. George in Erythres (Kriekouki) and Pournari at Oinoi, both standing today, were paralafria of the monastery. The church in Kriekouki, built in the 12th century, saves a lot of good art murals of 1790. A fourth paralafrio of the monastery of St. Meletios was Agia Paraskevi at Pournari in Oinoi, built in the 12th century and is now in ruins. Finally, west of the monastic complex of St. Meletios, in virgin pine forest, there is a chapel of the 12th century, dedicated to Saint Theodoros. One of the capitals of this temple, dating back to the 12th century, stands in the yard of the monastery of St.Meletios. The scholars derive data about the history of the monastery of the two lives of St. Meletios, written by his contemporary, Theodore Prodromos and Bishop of Methoni Nicholas, 36 years after the saint's death in 1141, when the monastery numbered 300 monks. Furthermore, many elements are resulting from the correspondence of Michael Choniates, the learned Metropolitan of Athens, with the abbot of the monastery.
