Ionnina: MRA-GRC-Ion003

The monastery, also known as St. Nicholas Spanos, is a single-aisled structure with a barrel vaulted roof. Its foundation dates to the 13^th century. It is the oldest of several monasteries located on an island on Lake Ioannina in Epirus, Greece. During the 16^th century, the monastery reached its apogee, and underwent three phases of renovations. These interventions included the addition of mural paintings between 1531 and 1560. The paintings were restored during the mid-20^th century. At present, the extant portions of the original monastery comprise the catholicon, some cells, and the refectory, and the church is only used for specific holidays.

Sources:

https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?ID=14819

http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=1504

Further reading:

Mastrotheodoros, G. P., Filippaki, E., Bassiakos, Y., Beltsios, K. G., & Papadopoulou, V. (2019). Probing the birthplace of the “Epirus school” of painting: analytical investigation of the Filanthropinon monastery murals—Part I: pigments. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 11(6), 2821-2836.

Acheimastou-Potamianou, M. (1999). Wall paintings of the Filanthropinon monastery. Monasteries of the Ioannina islet, 700, 17-36.