Holy Monastery of the Presentation of Mary of Myrtle

A highly important Byzantine monument, the Holy Monastery of the Presentation of Mary of Myrtle, a place of worship and spiritual uplifting, lies north of Lake Trichonida, approximately 8km from the town of Thermo.
It was founded around 1200, and legend has it that the icon of Mary left by itself from a monastery in the area, and hid in a myrtle. There, it was found by a shepherd, and the monastery was built in the exact spot more than 800 years ago.
Standing out, the main stone church features noticeable architectural singularities, having been built in parts and different periods, with additions and extensions on top of the original temple of 1200. The complex also boasts tall buildings with cells and auxiliary spaces.
In this men's monastery, which celebrates on November 21, there are also three chapels, and tradition has it that a so-called secret school functioned here during the Turkish occupation in a preserved crypt adjacent to the katholicon. Also noteworthy are the hagiographies, creations of different eras, phases and styles, some of them signed by the famous painter Digenis Xenos.