The Monastery of Sparmos on Mount Olympus

The exact date of foundation of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Sparmos is not known. The earliest written testimony is found in a handwritten Book of Commemoration of the Monastery, in which the names of the benefactors begin from the year 1386 AD. An inscription preserved in the Katholikon mentions the year 1633 AD as the date of its renovation. 

The name “Sparmos” derives from the village of the same name, which was once an old dependency (metochi) of the Monastery. The monastery initially belonged to the Diocese of Petra, but over time it became Stavropegial, meaning that it came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

It served as a spiritual beacon and refuge for the inhabitants of the region throughout the centuries, especially during the very difficult years of Ottoman rule, and it took an active part in all the major liberation struggles of the nation. The monastery remained “active” until the 1920s, when it was abandoned by its last, elderly monks. It remained deserted for almost 80 years, until the end of the 20^th century, when the first efforts began to restore the damage and renovate the Monastery. From the year 2000 AD, a male brotherhood was established, continuing its centuries-old sacred legacy.

In the imposing tower, at the northeastern corner of the complex, is housed the Monastery’s important library, with more than 20,000 volumes of theological, historical, scientific, and foreign-language books.

The monastery “includes” 8 chapels, as well as cave hermitages on the steep slopes of Mount Olympus. It celebrates its feast day on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (a movable feast).