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The Monastery of Agios Vlasios (Saint Blaise) is a Greek Orthodox monastery located in the Peloponnese region of Greece. It’s a short drive inland from Xylokastro near the village of Ano Trikala.
History
The monastery was founded in the 14th century after a hermit found an icon of Saint Blaise in a nearby cave. The hermit built a chapel about 500 meters from the cave. The current monastery dates back to the 17th century.
The Monastery of Agios Vlasios was dissolved in 1846, and a single monk lived there until his death in 1898. In 1918, another monk moved in and renovated it. Finally, in 1924, a nun took over and converted it to an all-female monastery. It was officially recognized again in 1928.
Visiting
I visited the monastery on a rainy afternoon with family friends from the village of Thalero. It’s open daily during sunlight hours except between 1PM and 4PM. Visitors are required to dress appropriately. It’s probably a good idea to have someone call and let the abbess know you’re coming.
Church
We knocked on the door and a little old nun came out to greet us. She led us to the church and opened it for us to see the beautiful 18th century wooden iconostasis. There are also important 16th century icons painted by the Skordilis brothers. The nun then brought out a reliquary for us to venerate.
Chapels
Outside the walls of the monastery is a beautiful garden and two chapels. The first is the Chapel of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. A well sits across the path.
Further along is another small chapel directly across from the cave where the hermit found the icon.
Plane Tree
Finally, another path leads to a picnic area under a large plane tree. The tree is hundreds of years old and played a role in the Greek Revolution. In 1821, Greek priest Papaflessas (1788-1825) spoke about the rebellion against the Ottomans on the eve of the revolution. A simple plaque on the tree commemorates the event.
