Anatoli village and the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist

The main feature of Anatoli is the unlimited view it offers to the visitor. The gaze can wander freely from the vast plain of Larissa to the Aegean, with intermediate “stops” at Mavrovouni and Pelion. 

The village is surrounded by forests of beech, oak, and fir, by ravines with centuries-old plane trees, and by lush orchards of chestnut, walnut, apple, and vineyards. It is an ideal destination for nature lovers and hikers, offering relatively easy access to the summit of Kissavos. Just outside the village, a rather rough dirt road leads to old, abandoned OTE facilities, only a few hundred meters (a short walk) from the summit of Prophet Elias at 1,978 meters.

The old name of the village, Selitsani, has Slavic origins (selice = “small village”) and refers back to the Byzantine period. The village experienced periods of prosperity and abandonment: it was deserted in the 13th century, resettled in the 15th by inhabitants of Vathyrema (near today’s Gerakari), which had been destroyed by the Turks, and finally renamed Anatoli in 1927, due to its location and the magnificent sunrise it faces daily. In the past, it was renowned for wine production, weaving, and silversmithing, while today its inhabitants are mainly engaged in farming and livestock breeding.

Sights and traditions

In the village square stands out the church of Saint George, which also houses the Ecclesiastical Museum. Its collection includes Venetian Gospels from the 1600s, icons and triptychs from the 17th century, carved wooden iconostases, sacred vessels, as well as manuscripts of rare historical value (Information: Cultural Association of Anatoliotes, tel. 00302410551597). Behind the church is the old Primary School, which hosts the Cultural Center of Anatoli and the permanent exhibition of old photographs. Very close to the square, you will also see a well-preserved stone arched bridge. 

The village comes alive in the summer months with festivals following one after another: Prophet Elias (20/7), Saint Paraskevi (26/7), Saint Panteleimon (27/7), and the Beheading of the Honorable Head of the Baptist (29/8). Of course, the highlight is the great feast of the Dormition of the Virgin on August 15. An important place in the calendar of the people of Anatoli holds the summer custom of the “Alonia”, during which villagers thresh grain in the traditional way at a stone threshing floor at Saint Panteleimon.

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The Monastery of Saint John the Baptist

Just 4 kilometers west of the village, on a natural “balcony” of Kissavos at 1,000 m, lies the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist. It was founded in 1550 by Saint Damianos of Myrichov (whose hermitage is preserved a short distance away at the location “Dogantzi”), making use of older buildings of the “Mountain of Cells,” a monastic center that flourished from the 9^th to the 13^th century.

The Monastery suffered damages (especially in 1897 by the Turks) and was abandoned after the end of World War II. In the early 1980s, attempts were made to revive it, which, however, were not successful. Since the early 21st century until today, it has been functioning as a women’s monastery. The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, is a simple basilica with interesting frescoes, while around it are the cells, workshops, and guesthouses.

The multinational sisterhood that resides here emphasizes ecological cultivation and livestock farming, avoiding chemical fertilizers and sprays. In the Monastery’s exhibition area, visitors can find products such as dairy items, jams, olives, and aromatic mountain herbs. Every September, the Pan-Thessalian Seed Exchange Festival is organized at the monastery.

* Anatoli belongs to the Municipality of Agia and is 42 km from the city of Larissa.