Evrytania Proussos Monastery

It is one of the few monasteries saved in Evrytania. It consists of the church and one wing with cells. The church honoured to Mary (Panagia) Proussiotissa is in the cross - domed type and dates to 1754. In the West side of the church there is a crypt adjusted to be used as a parekklesion. The frescoes are dated to 1785. Frescoes of the 13th c. are also saved in the external west side of the crypt, while in the internal we can distinguish two phases, one of which dates to 1518. A remarkable wood - carved iconostasis, dated to 1810, decorates the crypt.

The monastery church (katholikon) has been restored and the frescoes have been conserved.

Just across the monastery, there is the historical building of the first Greek School to function during the Turkish Rule, started by Kosmas Aetolos, a monk-priest who, because of his ideas, faced the death of a Martyr and is worshipped as a Saint.
(Photos: Michael Tziotis)

Proussos Monastery View of Main Complex Initially built in the first half of 9th century, it has been destroyed many times. Last destruction, by fire, was by the Germans on August 16, 1944.	Proussos Monastery View of Main Complex This "page view" photo gives a better understanding of how the Monastery is actually built hanging against the precipice.
Proussos Monastery View of Monk Cells Old Building Only the murmur of the flowing water several hundred feet below can be heard here, and birds chirping.	Proussos Monastery Clock This notable clock tower is across the gorge from the monastery. If it is true that photos can s?metimes totally fail to convey the awe of a place, this is one of those cases!
Proussos Monastery Clock Another view of the clock tower and the precipitous cliffs it is built on.	Proussos Monastery Clock The late afternoon light casts the shades of the cliff and the tower to the bottom of the gorge.
Proussos Chapel of Aghion Pandon The chapel of Aghion Pandon, which was built in 1754, opposite the monastery.	Proussos Monastery: Another View of Museum, Belfry and Dorm. The museum features many exhibits of interest, such as typeset books, manuscript codices, a sword from 1821 rumored to have belonged to revolution General Karaiskakis as well as many old traditional vestments.
Proussos Monastery: Open Space leading to the Entrance The entrance to the main Monastery yard in the background. The building to the left is the new monk cell building. Just across it, to the right, not visible, is the museum building.	Proussos Monastery: A View of the New Cell Complex The entrance to the main Monastery yard is hardly visible, marked with the flags, bottom left. The yellow flag is the one with the Byzantine two-headed eagle on it. This eagle with two heads was the emblem of the Byzantine Empire, symbolizing the Empire's interest in both the European and the Asian continents.
Proussos Monastery: Another View of the New Cell Complex and the Entrance Top Here again the yellow Byzantine flag, a metal cross and two lanterns on top of the main Monastery gate.	Proussos Monastery: Church of Our Lady Proussiotissa The church is built at the entrance of an opening in the cliff. In the west side of the church there is a crypt, dug into the rock, used as a parekklesion. The church was built to house the Holy Icon of Our Lady from Proussa of Vithinia, painted, according to tradition, by Evangelist Luke, which was found in a nearby cave of Evrytania, after it was carried away from Vithinia Asia Minor to be saved from the Iconoclasm dispute. The church was initially built in a tiny cave in the rock and the Icon was kept there. The rest of the church is a later construction and the initial part functions as a crypt where the Icon is still kept. (Please see our relevant photos)
Entrance to Our Lady of Proussos (Panayia Proussiotissa) Church With Painted Lintel	Entrance to Our Lady of Proussos (Panayia Proussiotissa) Church Lintel Closeup
Interior of Our Lady of Proussos (Panayia Proussiotissa) Church Holy icons, silver hanging olive oil lamps, wooden carved iconostasis, whispering sounds and moments of recollection and prayer...	Interior of Our Lady of Proussos (Panayia Proussiotissa) Church Crypt Our Lady Proussiotissa icon in a devout surrounding. Pious visitors bow to her grace.
Interior of Our Lady of Proussos (Panayia Proussiotissa) Church Crypt Another photo of the crypt. Of course, no flash permitted! No photographing either, unless one is equipped with special cameras that can take a photo totally unnoticed by faithful visitors and vigilant monks!	Proussos Monastery: Lion Head Fountain Made of marble, it is in the Monastery's yard for everybody's thirst to be quenched.
Our Lady's Proussiotissa Holy Triptych Made of marble, it is in the Monastery Yard against one of its walls	The School of Greek Letters Historical Building South of Aghion Panton chapel, the famous "School of Greek Letters", a Superior school of letters, functioning during the dark centuries of Turkish Rule, still survives, undergoing general renovation work.