Metochia in Greece

The real estate of a monastery that extends beyond its boundaries is usually a basic source of income, essential for its survival. The metochia of the Vatopedi Monastery were initially limited to Macedonia, but during its history, with various purchases and offers, they multiplied and exceeded the current Greek area, extending to the Danubian principalities and Asia Minor.

Metochia in Greece

They are mainly located in the region of Macedonia and are the oldest that the Monastery possessed. Most of them were lost in the 20th century.

The Prosphorion

It is the oldest known Vatopedi metochi. It was located in present-day Ouranoupoli and was granted to the Monastery by Protus of Mount Athos at the beginning of the 11th century. In 1018, a significant area of ​​land was annexed to it. In 1344, it had a tower that survives to this day. In the 16th century, the area of ​​the Monastery of Zygos was added, and in the following century, large areas of the ruined village of Komitissa were added, including the ruins of the Monastery of Melissourgeio. The metochi consisted of many acres of forest and livestock lands and was expropriated in 1930.

Ammouliani

It is a complex of islands west of Prosforio, which at the beginning of the 14th century belonged to Vatopedi. The use of the metochi was for livestock farming, while during the Revolution of 1821 it was used for the harboring of Greek ships. In the middle of the last century the church and the arsanas were built and at the beginning of the present new buildings, while the olive groves were organized. Later the metochi was expropriated.

Provlakas and Amaxina

The metohi of Provlakas was probably founded in the 12th century near present-day Nea Roda. At the beginning of the 14th century and in the middle of the 17th century, it was expanded with the addition of many estates of Ierissos. In 1689, a neighboring metohi of the Monastery of Dionysiou was added, and in 1741 another, of the Monastery of Pantokratoros. In 1901, estates of the Monastery of Agios Pavlos were annexed, which the Monastery acquired by ceding the metohi of Amaxina, south of Provlakas, which it had held since the 14th century. The metohi had a tower from the 12th century that was demolished in 1585.

Saint Mamas

It is located in Halkidiki and is mentioned as a Vatopedi estate since 1301. Around 1329 its tower was built (destroyed in the early 20th century), and in 1357-8 for security reasons a fortress. A large area near the fortress was added to the metochi by donation in 1369, while from the same time it also owned three aliotopia. Ultimately, 4000 acres remained in the metochi, which were expropriated in 1930.

Ormylia and Saint Fokas

The Ormylia metochi is located in Halkidiki. The existence of a metochi there for livestock use has been known since 1307. This will increase at the end of the 14th century. with purchases and donations of private estates. Around 1330, the tower was built near the present-day village of Vatopedi. The metochi was expropriated in 1930, while buildings from the second half of the 19th century. were granted in 1974 to the Monastery of Simonos Petras, which founded the women's Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary there.

Near Ormylia is the metochi of Agios Fokas, known since 1481, with an area of ​​14.000 acres, owned by the Monastery to this day.

The Souflar (or Souflar)

It was purchased by a private citizen from Thessaloniki in 1905 and expanded with the construction of a complex of buildings that still exist today. In 1922, it received refugees, who founded the village of Nea Triglia.

The metochias of Kassandra: Saints Theodoros and Saints Demetrios

These are two metochias, of Agioi Theodoroi, probably in the Agios Nikolaos area of ​​Agia Paraskevi, and of Agios Dimitrios, near the present-day villages of Athytos and Kassandria. The first is known from the early 14th century and the second probably from the late 11th century. Both were lost in the 15th century.

The Monastery of Saints Anargyroi in Drama

It was located near present-day Kormista and was granted to the Monastery by Alexios Komnenos in 1086. It was a Vatopedi possession at least until 1348.

The metochi of Athens

This is the chapel of Agia Kyriaki, which was dedicated in 1758 to the Vatopedi Monastery. Later, a neighboring plot of land was also purchased. Both were confiscated in 1858.

Lake Vistonida, Saint Nicholas, Panagia Pantanassa, Saint George of Kalamitziotis and Saint Panteleimonas

Lake Vistonida, with an area of ​​50.000 acres, which occupies a large part of the prefectures of Xanthi and Rodopi, was the property of the Vatopedi Monastery through donations from Byzantine Emperors even before the 11th century. It is ratified by chrysobulls of the Emperors Nikephoros Botaniatos (1080), Andronikos Palaiologos (1329), John Palaiologos (1356), the Serbian Hegemon Io. Unglesis (1371), etc.

In 1821, the Sultan forcibly seized the lake due to the Monastery's participation in the revolution. After the region was incorporated into the Greek state, the Monastery regained its rights there.

The Monastery built a church on an islet in the Lake before the 19th century, in the name of Saint Nicholas, which exists to this day -reconstructed periodically- and is a center of attraction for pilgrims, thanks to the miraculous icon of Saint Nicholas that exists there and the picturesque location of the metochi. Access to the metochi is via a wooden bridge. In 1990, the Monastery built a church on another side islet in the name of the miraculous icon of the Vatopedi Monastery of “Virgin Mary of Pantanassi”, a copy of which was transferred there.

Moreover, in the Peritheorio area the Monastery maintained a metochi in the name of Saint George, and in Xanthi in the name of Saint Panteleimon.

The monastery of Saint George, located in Kalamitsion, was dedicated to the Monastery by Theodora Synacherina (1308) along with its area and a plot of land in Sellarion and a pasture in the mountains of Xanthi, while that of Saint Panteleimon was acquired before 1329.

Azizaga, Kalamata

It is located in the village of Antikalamos or Azizaga and was founded around 1800. After it was burned down in 1821, it was repaired and used as a school. It returned to the possession of the Vatopedi Monastery in 1841 and is preserved to this day, now consisting of a church and arable land.

Σάμος

The metochi consists of a church, built in 1772, and a few estates. It still belongs to Vatopedi.

Minor metochias in Greece

At times, the Vatopedi Monastery also owned other metochias in Greece, in the form of estates, temples, buildings or other holdings. The most important of these were located in the following places: In various areas of Serres and within the city (estate and church), on the Gallikos River (estate) in Lemnos, in Constantinople the Monastery of the Virgin of Psychosostria and that of Mavros Molos in Prinarion in Macedonia, (estate) in Veria, the Monastery of Timios Prodromos of Petra in Lagadas on Lake Volvi, in the Edessa area (hotel, watermills, estates and buildings), in Mytilene (estate), in Arta and in a neighboring area (church), in Thessaloniki (houses and buildings, the Monastery of Kyrkiros and church), in Thassos the monastery of Agios Georgios.