Olive groves, vineyards, granaries

Since Byzantine times, the cultivation of the land has been one of the main activities of the monastic community of Vatopedi, as well as of the other monasteries of Mount Athos. Its purpose was to ensure basic ingredients of daily nutrition, but also of religious life, such as wheat, wine and oil. The production of these agricultural products at the end of the 14th century was at least five times higher than that of other monasteries. The wheat was mainly produced in the metochia of the Vatopedi Monastery in Halkidiki, from where it was transported by ships and stored in the granary on the beach. The olive groves and vineyards were located within Mount Athos. Specifically, the vineyards had a total area of ​​at least thirty acres. At the end of the 19th century, the following are mentioned; Hatzavares (or Hatzavra), Ovoros, Armatomeni, Agios Charalambos, Anthimos and Vartholomaios, Hatzigrigorios and Despotos. The first four are identified with current estates, while for the rest we only know that they probably bore the name of some earlier user. Olive groves existed near the monastery, but also in the wider area, such as in the locations Armatomeni, Chera, Xepatimata, Agios Onoufrios, on both sides of the Platanari ravine, in the old Athoniada, in Katsarou and in Keramidenia Kalyva.