Dionysiou Monastery

Dionysiou Monastery (Greek: Μονή Διονυσίου) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery at the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece in southwest part of Athos peninsula. The monastery ranks fifth in the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries. It is one of the twenty self-governing monasteries in Athos, and it was dedicated to John the Baptist.

Dionysiou Monastery
Ιερά Μονή Διονυσίου
External view of the monastery
Dionysiou Monastery is located in Mount Athos
Dionysiou Monastery
Location within Mount Athos
Monastery information
Full nameHoly Monastery of Dionysiou
OrderEcumenical Patriarchate
Establishedmid 14th century
Dedicated toJohn the Baptist
DioceseMount Athos
People
Founder(s)Dionysios
PriorArchimandrite Elder Petros
Important associated figuresNicodemus the Hagiorite
Architecture
StyleByzantine
Site
LocationMount Athos, Greece
Coordinates40°10′04.88″N 24°16′25.91″E
Public accessMen only

History
Dionysiou Monastery as seen from a nearby cliff
A view

The monastery was founded in the 14th century by Saint Dionysius of Korisos, and it was named after him. The brother of Dionysius of Korisos was the metropolitan of Trebizond at the time. Alexios III Komnenos of Trebizond was the main benefactor of the monastery during its founding. His chrysobull from September 1374 is currently kept in the archives of Dionysiou Monastery. A passage from the chrysobull states that:[1]

For all emperors, kings, or rulers of note have built monasteries on Mount Athos for their eternal memory; and since the emperor of Trebizond surpasses many of them, he too should add a new foundation in order to live eternally in the memory of the people and to enjoy unending pleasures of the soul.

By the end of the 15th century, the Russian pilgrim Isaiah confirms that, the monastery was Serbian.[2]

The library of the monastery housed 804 manuscripts and more than 4,000 printed books. The oldest manuscripts come from the 11th century.

Today the monastery has a community of around 50 monks.

Notable people

Partial list of abbots

Manuscripts

References
  1. Speake, Graham (2014). Mount Athos: renewal in paradise. Limni, Evia, Greece: Denise Harvey. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-960-7120-34-2. OCLC 903320491.
  2. A. E. Bakalopulos (1973). History of Macedonia, 1354-1833. [By] A.E. Vacalopoulos. p. 166. At the end of the 15th century, the Russian pilgrim Isaiah relates that the monks support themselves with various kinds of work including the cultivation of their vineyards....He also tells us that nearly half the monasteries are Slav or Albanian. As Serbian he instances Docheiariou, Grigoriou, Ayiou Pavlou, a monastery near Ayiou Pavlou and dedicated to St. John the Theologian (he no doubt means the monastery of Ayiou Dionysiou), and Chilandariou. Panteleïmon is Russian, Simonopetra is Bulgarian, and Karakallou and Philotheou are Albanian. Zographou, Kastamonitou (see fig. 58), Xeropotamou, Koutloumousiou, Xenophontos, Iveron and Protaton he mentions without any designation; while Lavra, Vatopedi (see fig. 59), Pantokratoros, and Stavronikita (which had been recently founded by the patriarch Jeremiah I) he names specifically as being Greek (see map 6).
  3. "Saint Joseph of Dionysiou". Orthodox Church in America. 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  4. Cavarnos, Constantine (1999). Blessed elder Gabriel Dionysiatis (1886-1983): remarkable confessor and spiritual guide, profound analyst of twentieth century society, inspiring writer on many vital topics, and for forty years Abbot of the Monastery of Dionysiou at the Holy Mountain of Athos. Belmont, MA, U.S.A.: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. ISBN 1-884729-47-9. OCLC 42924301.
  5. Cavarnos, Constantine (1999-09-01). "Modern Orthodox Saints (1886-1993)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  6. Sanidopoulos, John (2004-02-27). ""Spiritual Invocation" by Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis". www.johnsanidopoulos.com. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  7. "Elder Haralambos of Dionysiou". Greek Orthodox Christian Society. 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  8. "Relics of Elder Charalambos of Dionysiou, spiritual child of St. Joseph the Hesychast, exhumed". OrthoChristian.Com. 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
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