Panagia Eleousa Vlachernas monastery
The monasteries of Mt Menalon
Panagia Eleousa Vlachernas monastery
The monastery of Panagia Eleousa Vlachernas, known locally as the monastery of Bezenikos, is built inside a large rockshelter, above the village of Vlacherna (formerly Bezenikos).
The approach to the now deserted monastery is via a dirt road and then a path, passing close by another rockshelter, where there are ruins of another church of Panagia, Panagia Katafygiotissa. At the top of the rock, above the Eleousa monastery, the late Byzantine fortress of Bezenikos is found.
Panagia Eleousa Vlachernas monastery
Tradition relates the creation of the monastery to the reign of Andronikos Paleologos (beginning of the 14th century), however, there are no architectural elements, nor references to confirm this hypothesis. The dating of the frescoes of the katholikon indicates the decoration of the katholikon sometime in the middle of the 18th century. The main inscription on the church unique entrance refers to the year 1890, probaply the date of a renovation.
The monastery consists of buildings and constructions from different periods. The katholicon, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin, is a small cruciform church with a dome.
Panagia Eleousa Vlachernas monastery
The monastery was always run under a male community and remained tied to the fortunes of its poor and small territory and regressed with it. It was finally dissolved in 1834 to live a brief glimpse until 1840. Since then it remains as a visitable religious monument of the Levidi area.
The katholikon of Panagia Eleousa
The interior of the katholikon of Panagia Eleousa
Text: T. Adamakopoulos
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A guide to Mt Menalon
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