Today we had a slower day, which was a relief to many. We are so grateful to see all the sites, but even the most intense of biblical scholars need a break!
We began our day with a visit to two monasteries here in Meteroa. Our our way, our guide (Stavros) told us about the town in which we are staying, Kalabaka. It is the seat of the municipality of Meteora which is part of Thessaly. Its population is about 10,000, and it relies on tourism to the six ancient monasteries sitting in the cliffs about the town to provide its economic flow. Kalabaka is not a Greek word– it came during the time of Turkish occupation. It means "strong rock." Similarily, Meteora means "something suspended between heaven and earth," like meteorites! Also rocks, from the same root.
The beginnings of this town as a home to these many monasteries dates back to the 11th century, when (assumingly very skillful rock climbing) hermit monks settled in wooden structures inside the cracks and caves of the huge rock cliffs. Slowly the monastic life here grew and by the 16th century there were over one hundred monasteries in this area. Now there are only six, with varying degrees of accessibility. Today, our group went to two: Varlaam and Roussanou.
The drive up the hills to the cliffs brought fantastic views. For those who know Holden Village– there were a few sharp switchbacks that would make you nostalgic!
Our first stop was Varlaam. Varlaam is the second biggest monastery of Meteora. It was founded in the mid 14th century by a monk named Varlaam, hence the name. Varlaam managed to climb on the cliff around 1350 and followed by a few other monks he was able to establish the monastery. Decades later in the early 15th century, after Varlaam died, the cliff was abandoned by the rest of the monks. The 14th-century chapel built by him and dedicated to the “Three Hierarchs” was almost turned into ruins. In the early 16th century two brothers from Ioannina decided to reactivate the abandoned monastery of Varlaam. They settled on the cliff spending many years building a new chapel dedicated to “All Saints” in 1541.
To get to the monastery we had to climb 200 steps... and with people ranging from their 20s to their 80s in our group, we did it! The monks who came after the original climbing monks had a primitive elevator… they would lower a basket for people and supplies until the beginning of the 20th century, and then they created the steps that we use today. We could have used that basket, but I think we did well with the stairs.
After our visit to Varlaam, we drove further down the road to another monastery, this one a convent for nuns, named Rousannou. This one didn't have any stairs! Only about 30 very short two inch steps. Like Varlaam, this monastery received the name “Roussanou” probably from the first hermit-monk who settled on the rock around that period. The monastery is one single building occupying the entire available surface of the cliff. It creates the impression that the building was carved out from the cliff as the extension of the rock itself.
It was first established in the 14th century, but was mainly built in three main levels in the 16th century, in an effort to increase the available space inside. The main cathedral was founded at the end of the 16th century and was decorated thirty years later by a monk who was a very skillful artist and lived at the monastery of Roussanou. It suffered severe damage from the Nazis during World War II and as a result, even today they are still painting the inside icons again (not photos allowed inside, so you will have to guess). It became a convent in 1988 and today about 15 nuns live in the small and cozy monastery, along with a few kittens. Rousannou is dedicated to St Stefanos.
After the monastery, the group went to Pefkis Workshop which is a family owned iconographic painting company. Here, they paint various icons and then sell them. They have sold to The Vatican, and religious sites locally and abroad. They have owned it for three generations, and the grandfather is an Orthodox priest who learned how to do the icon art in the traditional style from monks at monastery and brought the skill back. They use all-natural pigments for paint. The traditional style uses egg yolk as the binder with water, so it never cracks like oil paint does.
We were glad for an afternoon free. Some of us explored the town while others went for a swim in the pool or took a nap. Before dinner, our guide talked to us more about the Hagia Sofia that we visited in istanbul. We then had a great dinner, and after we had a worship service together led by one of the travelers on our trip. We all have great songsheets that we can sing out of, which feels very Lutheran. They we headed to bed to be rested for more adventures in the days ahead.
-Liza
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