Meteora

BLP:

In the afternoon visit the spectacular Meteora monasteries built on the top of huge gray boulders. These are veritable Byzantine monasteries, exhibiting superb icons and manuscripts from the 14th century.

• Travel:
  • Turkey & Greece 2019
    • Mon 3/11
      • 9:30 — Depart Berea for Meteora monasteries
        • History and Importance of the Monastic Movement
      • 11:30 — Arrive at Kalabaka for Lunch
      • 1:00 — Tour Meteora Monasteries
      • 6:00 — Arrive Hotel
      • Dinner
      • Overnight in Kalabaka at Divani Meteora hotel
    • Tue 3/12
      • 6:30 — Breakfast
      • 7:00 — Depart Hotel for Delphi
• Resources:
  • Wikipedia
  • Wikimedia
  • Web
  • Map

Background

UNESCO site:

High above the Meteora landscape in the central region of Greece, 60 monks and nuns live in fabled monasteries perched on the edge of sandstone peaks. In centuries past, their place of worship brought them solitude and protection from unwanted trespassers.

Note: The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen is connected with a walking bridge, thus making it more accessible than any other monastery.

Visiting the monasteries is the highlight of Meteora. You can choose to drive, hike up or take a guided tour.

Christian monasticism is a structured, ascetic pursuit of the Christian life. It involves a return to God through attention to the classic spiritual disciplines of silence, chastity, prayer, fasting, confession, good works, obedience, and vigils.

Monks provided service to the church by copying manuscripts, creating art, education people, and working as missionaries. Convents were especially appealing to women. It was the only place they would receive any sort of education or power. It also let them escape unwanted marriages.

Monasteries provided a stable environment for learning in Medieval Europe. While much of the learning was contained to the confines of the monastery walls, knowledge did extend beyond the relatively isolated centers through travelers and pilgrims who would stay at the monasteries. The most important effects of monasticism on medieval Europe were religious, cultural, and education.

Monasteries hired craftsmen and artists, provided banking services, and served as schools, old-age homes, and inns. They also redistributed a small part of their wealth to the poor in the surrounding communities as charitable relief.

Title image credit

More to come...