The Monastery of Saint Paraskevi is an abandoned monastery situated on the edge of

Vikos Gorge The Vikos Gorge or Vikos Canyon ( gr, Φαράγγι του Βίκου) is a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of north-western Greece. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymphe with a length of about 32 km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350 ...

, in the region of

Zagori Zagori ( el, Ζαγόρι; rup, Zagori), is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 villages known as ...

( Ioannina regional unit), northwestern

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. The monastery founded at 1413–1414, consists of a small stone-built chapel, the oldest preserved in Zagori, and offers panoramic views to the gorge.

Foundation and description

The monastery, named after Saint Paraskevi ( el, Αγία Παρασκευή'' Aghia Paraskevi''), was founded at 1413–1414. According to an inscription over its gate, the foundation took place when the local ruler of

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

was Despot

Carlo I Tocco Carlo I Tocco was the hereditary Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from 1376, and ruled as the Despot of Epirus from 1411 until his death on July 4, 1429. Life Carlo I was the son of Count Leonardo I Tocco of Cephalonia and Leukas by Madda ...

. It was built by the inhabitants of the nearby village of

Vitsa Vitsa ( el, Βίτσα) is one of the largest villages of central Zagori. It is situated at an altitude of 955m on a mountain slope near the Vikos gorge with roads linking it to Greek National Road 6. Vitsa is famous for its old double-arched br ...

and with the personal expense of a local lord, the ''

voevoda Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

'' Michael Therianos. Tradition mentions that Therianos built the monastery as an act of thanksgiving for his daughter's savior suffering from an incurable illness. The church is a small

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

, with only a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and a wooden roof, surrounded by the monks' cells. The frescoes of the temple partially date to 15th century. On the northern wall, there is a

donor portrait A donor portrait or votive portrait is a portrait in a larger painting or other work showing the person who commissioned and paid for the image, or a member of his, or (much more rarely) her, family. ''Donor portrait'' usually refers to the portr ...

of Therianos, his wife and children. The depictions are indicative of the dressing code of that time. The outfits of the benefactors are luxurious with rich embroidered cloths, broad braids and fringes. His daughter, Theodora, is wearing a white kerchief on her head, which is wrapped around her neck. The wall paintings on the south wall are dated from the relevant inscription around 1689.

Surroundings

The monastery is built at the edge of a rough rock that stands over the

. The closest village, Monodendri, is a 15-minute walk away. From the terrace of the chapel, which has been appropriately designed, visitors can safely watch over the gorge. A number of caves are located in the middle of the rough side of Vikos north and east of the monastery, where hermits and persecuted Christians sought refuge during Ottoman times. Moreover, for the same reason, a number of small dwellings were built around 1816.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paraskevi, Monastery Of Saint (Vikos) Religious buildings and structures completed in 1414 Byzantine church buildings in Epirus (region) Christian monasteries established in the 15th century Saint Paraskevi Despotate of Epirus Religious organizations established in the 1410s Zagori 1413 establishments in Europe 1414 establishments in Europe Buildings and structures in Ioannina (regional unit) 15th-century churches in Greece