Today I'll continue to show the pictures of pilgrim J.P. ten Bruggencate, who visited Athos last June.
The large kellion called Marouda, not far from Karyes and Skiti Andreou
View from the balcony, with the Serail in the background
A zoom in on the Serail. This corner of the building is still a ruin, the rest of the large building complex is newly renovated.
Father Makarios of Marouda
Marouda: Fresco from May 9th 1796 of the Panaghia with Child and two Saints: Ounofrios and Peter the Athonite
Marouda: The iconostasis
Marouda: clocks with Father Makarios and Jan Paul ten Bruggencate
Skiti Andreou
Skiti Andreou - bells with the main church in scaffolds. The renovation of the domes is finished and and the gold shines again!
Skiti Andreou - the courtyard. Nowadays the old bells are protected by professional build roof. Look here to see this spot in 2007.
This is what George told us about the bells in June 2009:
Hi Wim, I can confirm that these bells were removed from the
enormous bell tower at the entrance of the sketes main church of St.
Andrew. (definately not from the deserted Ukraine building near Skiti
Provata)I remember ringing these bells on St. Andrews day in 1993 or
1994 with some co-students whilst we were studying at the Athonias
Academy. At this time the bells were still hanging in the bell tower. In
particular the large bell created a deep thunderous sound which we were
later informed was heard clearly at the Skete of Prophet Ilias near
Pantocratoros Monastery. The staircase leading up to the clock and bells
is very narrow and winding. Its a beautiful church and skete, I cannot
wait untill it is returned to its former glory.
Skiti Andreou - relic: a piece of the skull of .... ?
The magnificant iconostasis of the 111 years old church
The entrance to Athos Academy: Athonias (to see the pupils play soccer look here).
Wim, 19/7
(from 21/7/2011 I'll be on a 3-week holiday visiting Sri Lanka with
wife and daughters: Greece/Athos is to hot for me, today the temperature
in Vatopedi reached 37 degrees!)
20/07/2011 at 00:40 | Permalink
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Vasilis showed me this article published
today, from Sasa Milosevic, a journalist of Huffingtonpost.com. The
article does not give us a lot of new information about the subject, but
it does lead to us to some interesting links concerning the "women on
Athos"-issue. For me personally I get a little bit tired of these kind
of articles. What's the point writing about it, when there actual is no
news?
And yes, it is absolutely true that the Avaton does not give women
equal rights and yes, it is not normal in a modern civil society to ban
women from equallity, but Mount Athos is a different place than anywhere
else in this world, and this is how it should be. Some things are not
equal, just get used to it.
So sorry girls, no Mount Athos for you. But do not dispair, this
web-log gives you a chance to see what we (men) can experience. Just
have a look at the magnificant view from the 2033 high mountain!
Postcard 1928
Coronelli
appr. 1600
1863
1832
Wim, 12/7
12/07/2011 at 23:24 in news, the mountain | Permalink
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Pilgrim Jan Paul ten Bruggencate visited Stavronikita in June and was willing to share his pictures with us.
Stavronikita: a view of Pantocratoros
A
classical shot: the aquaduct with the monastery and its tower. It is
good that Hollywood filmmakers are not allowed to work here!
The aquaduct with a palm tree: maybe once it will be as big as the palm tree in Georgiou!
Stavronikita and the Holy Mountain
Ag. Nicolaos
A
new fresco above a door in Stavronikita. What struck me was the
resemblance between the Saint Nicolas on the right and an icon I own of
Saint Nicolas: could it have been the same icon-painter? On the left
corner I found a name (dia cheiros - Vas P. Mapea??), and mine is
painted by the Pachomaioi brothers, so I think they must be different
artists, although they are very similar in every detail.
Icon of Saint Nicolas in the house of the Pachomaioi-brothers 1986 (a copy is now in privat collection W. Voogd)
Wim, 10/7
10/07/2011 at 23:30 in 15 Stavronikita | Permalink
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In this Russian documentary, broadcasted in April 2011, you can see extraordinary footage of Karoulia with its hermit caves.
At the end of this short TV item Maria the (Russian speeking!)
restaurant owner in Ouranopolis showes up, who is actually from Georgia
and lived in Greece for more then 20 years!
Wim, 7/7
08/07/2011 at 00:20 in film, news | Permalink
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This week the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture (Academie van
Bouwkunst) launched a project of four students, who's assignment was to
design a botanical garden for the Holy Monastery Kotloumousiou on Mount
Athos. In the spring of 2011 a group landscape architecture students
traveled to Athos, where they had been invited to work on concepts for
garden restoration and the addition of new gardens to the thousand year
old monastery.
The project was instigated by Rieks Bulthuis, Pilgrim of the Koutloumousiou monastery.
This is what their website tells:
"Twelve students work in groups on designing the garden for the Holy
Monastery. At the beginning of the project students visited and studied
the site and listened to the conditions and requirements, which formed
the basis for the design. After eight weeks, all students delivered a
design on
the gardens. After this first design period students worked
further on the materialization of the plan, on planting and detailing
of the conceptual ideas. After again eight weeks they presented their
detailed plans. The plans were combined into a booklet and presented to
the monastery".
Four proposals by the students were made:
Project 1
Map of the area with curving wall leading downwards.
Photoshoped picture of how it could look like.
Project 2
Detailed map of the Karyes/Koutloumousiou area with the projected garden
Image of the "Pilgrim Path"
Watercolor of the plan
Project 3
Sketch of the Mountain
Plan that goes with project 3
Drawing of plan 3
Project 4
This project involves a rose garden, also for Arsanas Koutloumousiou, Kaliagra.
Location drawing
Artists impression
The abbot of the monastery Koutloumousiou wrote after their
visit that the students' through their openness, support and
respect towards the monks way of life, have been an example for everyone
in the monastery. This gave them a "welcome for the rest of their
lifes" and he gave his blessing for their future development.
Soon the students travel to Greece again to give the brothers advise
on the implementation of the proposed designs. The brothers chose not to
realize one design, but they added together the best parts of all
designs created.
The girls involved in these projects unfortunately had to stay in Thessaloniki..............
A book about the projects will be published soon (from the Vasilis weblog).
Wim Voogd, Amsterdam, 6/7
06/07/2011 at 23:26 in nature, news | Permalink
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Mr Jan Paul ten Bruggencate started his latest visit to the Holy
Mountain with a night in Skiti Profitou Eliou. This is an extraordinary
achievement, because non-orthodox pilgrims are not allowed to sleep in
this Skiti.
He told me that he used the help and influence of his German Athos friends, who have a special relationship with this Skiti. 
Skiti Profitou Eliou
Entrance
Inside the katholicon
Monk watering the flowers
Pantocratoros seen from Profitou Eliou
The other way around: Profitou Eliou from Pantocratoros
Pantocratoros and the Holy Mountain
The kiosk of Pantocratoros: Jan Paul ten Bruggencate and a monk with fancy sunglasses
Katholicon Pantocratoros
Pantocratoros trapeza
Fresco trapeza: the Panaghia on her deathbed
Fresco
trapeza: the deathbed of Efrem the Stylite from Syria. The most
reliable date for his death is 9 June 373. Look at the fine decorations
above this scene: Saints with delicate red and white vines between
them!
Stavronikita and the Holy Mountain
Wim, 4/7
04/07/2011 at 23:46 in 07 Pantokratoros, sketes | Permalink
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Sotheby's in London has this oil painting from 1856/7 "View of Mount Athos" for sale next Thursday July 7th.
Lot number 371: who has € 23.000 - € 35.000 to spent for this small painting (29 by 47 cm)?
Detail of the Holy Mountain and Antithonas
(also see 806 and 943)
Wim, 4/7
04/07/2011 at 16:11 in art new, news | Permalink
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Jan Paul ten Bruggencate, one of our Dutch readers/contributors (see 1209) and a frequent pilgrim to the Holy Mountain, just came back from a 13-day visit (!) to Athos during Pentecost.
He was willing to share some of his pictures with us and in the
coming days I will show them to you. Today I will start with the most
remarkable photos.
Novices (?) from the Athonias-school at the Serail/Ag. Andreou
playing a mini soccer game! And why not ? School kids need exercise ! As
long as they're not planning to compete in the European or World cup!
One of the places mr Ten bruggencate visited was kellion Marouda.
Here picture of him (80 years!) with a monk/Elder Makarios of the small
settlement (thanks Giannis).
Wim, 27/6
27/06/2011 at 23:49 in people 2 | Permalink
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Made by Konstantin Shtarkelov from Bulgaria during world war 2
1942
hv
26/06/2011 at 13:28 in 09 Sografou, art new | Permalink
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In blog 660 we showed you one picture from the 1983 National Geographic magazine (with a discussion if this picture was fake).
Today we will show the rest: the picture are made by James L. Stanfield.
Simonospetras by evening, with two different light conditions, and
the photo that gave some discussion, if if the bones of this former
abbot could fit the box.
Skiti Ag. Anni: the inscribed skull of a priest at the monastic community
Father Niphon, a master carver, has lived as a hermit for more than 50 years
Karoulia: Father Niphon, two dozen hermits inhabit caves and Spartan huts
Stavronikita:
St. Nicholas of the Oyster - in the 16th century, after fishermen found
the icon with an oyster embedded in its forehead
Stavronikita Monastery: monks having a simple meal
But the National Geographic photograpic archive has more Athos
pictures, from which I do not know the year of publication (or if they
were ever published at all?).
Here three pictures of a photographer named James P. Blair:
Monk reads scriptures on a rowboat in the Aegean Sea
Simonospetras: after morning service and early meal, monks have a discussion on the rectory balcony
Simonaspetras: an elder monk counsels a younger monk
And than there are three pictures made by Gilbert M. Grosvenor (past
president and chief executive of the National Geographic magazine, as
well as a former editor):
Panteleimonos (?): a monk reads scriptures in a vaulted refectory at a monastery meal
Monks and pilgrims feast on a saint's day in an ornate refectory (Panteleimonos?)
The text by this says: "Greek Orthodox abbot in red and gold robes
raises a golden cross". I think it must be a Russian Orthodox priest or
abbot from Panteleimonos(?).
Wim, 20/6
20/06/2011 at 23:06 in books, monasteries | Permalink
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In numbers 661 and 664
of our blog we already showed some pictures of the September 1916
magazine of National Geographic. With the help of our fellow blogger
Vasilis I found some more pictures on the internet, with many
unpublished photo's from National Geographic.
Some of the pictures are presented for a second time, but they have a
better quality then previously shown, and a couple photo's are
totally new and never seen before. The photo's are by Harry Griswold
Dwight.
Iviron
Karyes
Kavsokalivia wall paintings in St. Anthony's churh
Lavra arsanas (port)
Lavra phiale
Monks and laymen
Pantocratoros and the Holy Mountain
Simonospetras arsanas
Vatopedi (?)- narthex of a church
Vatopedi - Feast of the Annuciation
Vatopedi - stone plaza and clock tower
Vatopedi - communion cup
Vatopedi - iconostasis
Vatopedi - a mule train in front of the monastery
Vatopedi - guesthouse kitchen
Vatopedi - hallway with arched columns
Vatopedi - the bay with buildings
Vatopedi - orchard
Vatopedi - courtyard
Vatopedi - trapeza
Xenofontos - gnarled trees
Xiropotamou - gold bible and jade communion cup
All the National Geographic pictures are beautifully published in this wonderfull Greek book, that Vasilis gave to me:
ISBN 978-960-6883-89-7
Wim, 19/6
19/06/2011 at 14:03 in history, monasteries | Permalink
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On a new website of the association Friends of Vatopedi "Pempdousia" hunderds of fine pictures can be found and a lots of information about the Vatopedi monastery and Mount Athos.
Here are some photos of the construction of a new church Ag. Gregorius Palamas, not far from the monastery, in 2002.
Wim, 16/6
16/06/2011 at 23:08 in 02 Vatopedi, news | Permalink
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I continue our visit to Pantocratoros with a few pictures of the trapeza.
Trapeza wall: fresco with Saints. The fresco shows us (from left to right):
1. Saint Pachomios
2. the Angel of the Lord showing him (St. Pachomios) the traditional monk's habit
3. Saint Nilos
4. Saint Arsenios
These 3 saints are considered great ascetics. (thanks to Bertinos)
Above the exit door of trapeza: a famous fresco a different animals.
Detail of the fresco above: almost all animals/griffins are eating human body parts (heads and feet).
The fresco about the exit door of the trapeza depicts a vision of the
Resurrection of the Dead by Ezechiel, where an angel wakes the dead
with a trumpet. At that point, all (parts of) humans who (will) have
been eaten by all kinds of creatures, will be "reassembled" (into
transfigured bodies). The angel on the left is rolling up the present
(world=)universe, usually symbolised by a scroll with the sun, moon,
stars, etc. which masks the eternal world/universe (thanks to Bertinos,
who shared his expertise with us!).
Just
outside the trapeza you can see this antique stone in the wall: two
adults sitting on chairs (and eating?), with a young child standing
under the table.
And in the proximity: a stone with Christian ornamental figures.
In the courtyard of Pantocratoros: the dubble headed eagle
Pantocratoros - well
Pantocratoros - another well with two taps
Pantocratoros - semantron in the courtyard
Pantocratoros - behind the katholicon
Pantocratoros- rear entrance
Katholicon
Courtyard with trees
Pantocratoros
- bedroom. I learned one important thing from this night. Next time
I'll bring earplugs, because of extreme loud snoring !
Outside Pantocratoros - an aquaduct
Wim, 11/6
11/06/2011 at 12:52 in 07 Pantokratoros, trip 2009 : Wim 's group | Permalink
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Let's continue the blog about this magazine:
Docheiariou bu Efimov in 1835. This water-color is made by an unknown artist, probably around 1900.
Photograph of Sografou seen from the north-east, an early picture, taken between 1865-1882.
Early photograph of Filotheou. According to the buildings shown, this picture is taken before 1872.
Photoalbums Athos 1904-1913
Panteleimonos
before 1862. This oil color painting is in the Trapeza and is painted
in 1892, probably after a photograph of 1859-60.
Panteleimonos around 1871
Graphic representation of Panteleimonos as it was in 1851-61. Colored lithograph in the library of the monastery.
Grigoriou
before 1891, before the extension of 1891-1896. This photograph also
belonged to the important collection of views of monasteries, that hung
in the guesthouse of Karakallou which was destroyed by fire in 1988.
Vatopedi,
after 1857. This picture belongs to the Sevastianov collection in St.
Petersburg. Because he visited Vatopedi 1857, this picture must have
been taken in this year (or in 1859-60), thus being one of the oldest
existing views of Athos (Library of the Academy of Fine Arts - St.
Petersburg).
Simonospetras
before 1862. This picture also belongs to the Sevastianov collection in
St. Petersburg and he visited this monastery in 1859-60.
Ag.
Pavlou by Ekimov 1835. It is important because it records the interior
arrangement of the monastery in 1835,which has since been totally
altered. Especially important is the image of the old Katholicon
(Gennadios Library).
Lavra
1835. It is one of the vignettes of the Davydov map, drawn by N. Ekimov
in 1835, published as uncolouered etching in 1839, and water-coloured
by hand probably around 1900.
Besides showing the Tower, the Katholicon and east wing, it is of special interest because it shows the Church of Michael Sinnada, destroyed during the 1905 earthquake.
Panteleimonos
from the West, 1835(?). Colored lithograph by Richebois, issued in
Paris, after a drawing of G. Birman of 1835. This drawing, besides its
elegance, is important because it shows a Post-Byzantine church, which
could be no other than the Kyrakion or main church of the old Monydrion
(small monastery) of Ananlipsis, which was totally absorbed by the big
monastery and vanished.
N. Ghika, Athos seen from Sithonia.
Wim Voogd, 5/6/2011
05/06/2011 at 00:49 in books | Permalink
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Pavlos Mylonas writes in an article in this Greek magazine - in Greek with a short summary in English -about Mount Athos and paintins and pictures from the 19th century.
The pantings are from a Russian artist Efymov, who painted Athos in
1835 and his works were published by Davydov. I will also show you the
earliest existing Athos-photographs from 1869-70, made in Lavra, while
they were building the treasury. Many of these old pictures have been
hanging on the wall of the guesthouse of Karakallou, that was burnt in
1988. Luckily mr Mylonas has been able to keep a few of these pictures.
View of the monastery Panteleimonos from the West, showing the state
of the compound in the period 1895-1908. This is a section of a large
painting that is hanging in de guesthouse of the monastery.
Water-color painting by N. Efimov 1835, showing Agiou Pavlou (Gennadios Library)
Arsanas of Pantocratoros 1935, painted by Spyros Papaloukas (also see 1053)
Monochrome map of Athos from the atlas of Davydov 1835 (published in
1839), decorated with views of some of the monasteries (see below).
Lavra
Pavlou
Lavra (?)
Unknown
Docheiariou
Vatopedi
Roussikon (?)
Unknown place with palm tree
Unknown
Iviron (?)
Aquaduct outside Filotheou(?)
Interior monastery 1835
Wood cut made by E. Papadimitriou 1934 (frontispiece of Papantoniou's book Hagion Oros) (for balloon art see 312)
And
I will end this blog today with the oldest exsisting photograph of
Athos, made in 1869-70. Extensive photographic work in these years was
carried out by an important Russian expedition, headed by Count Peter
Sevastianov, who widely published his work in newspapers and magazines
in Russia and France in the 1860s. These pictures are shown to Mylonoas
in Moscow and St Petersburg, because they were no longer to be found in
Karakallou, because of the 1988 fire.
In post nr 2546 of the Agioritikes Mnimes (our fellow blogger Keliotes) shows us a Greek webshop with products from monasteries/Mount Athos.
My special interest lies with the wines and to my surprize the
vineyard of Mylopotamos came with a new wine in March 2010, named
Epifanis.
Because of the prize (now for € 24,00!) this must be a top-end wine, made from the harvest of 2007.
This is what the Mylopotamos wine-site mywines.gr , who ask € 19,00 a bottle, says about it:
Epifanis: Local Athonian Wine
Local from Mt. Athos,
Epifanis (Celebrated) Wine is produced from the vines in Mylopotamos,
more than fifteen years old, and more specifically from the varieties
Limnio, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a deep crimson color. In
its bouquet we may discern dried plums, red fruits and spices. With
respect to its taste, its body is robust with a supple structure, rich
in tannins, in harmonious fusion, a balanced acidity and a prolonged
sweet aftertaste.
A wine with a supple surface, promising a lot to the variety’s
aficionados, who want to stock in their cellars wines older than ten
years. Should you decant it to a carafe before serving, it will “open
up” and offer you its full spectrum of aromas. Enjoy at 16o-18o degrees
C. The winemaking took place in temperature-controlled wine makers for
three weeks. Following malo-lactic fermentation, it was settled and then
aged for 24 months in new French oaken barrels.
The new oak barrels in the Mylopotamos wine cellar in 2009
| Year: |
2007 |
| Bottling: |
March 2010. 6350 bottles |
| Region: |
Mylopotamos – Holy Mt. of Athos - Chalkidiki |
| Origin of grapes: |
Privately owned organic vineyard |
| Grape-harvest: |
Early September |
| Alcohol content: |
13,8%
|
This is what an Italian wine critic Luca Maroni wrote:
Epifanis Mylopotamos Mount Athos 2007 93. Consistency: 32 - Balance: 30 - Integrity: 31
Sensazioni: an enmeshing tint whose richness visually transcends
its pigment essence. This is a magnificent wine, of powerful and
profound extractive concentration, yet capable of offering itself to
the inspiration with an intensity, a fragrance, with one marvellous
aroma full of a spicy vigour. Its fleshy marasca is violaceous, vivid,
with notes of a limpid, toasted oak and widening nuances of eucalyptus
and mint. Greatly round and ripe on the palate: with its thickness that
pulpy and creamy embodies its harmonious, glycerinous suasiveness.
Oenological transformation technically irreproachable: a great
cleanliness, a fruit absolutely inoxidated, of its native nature, spirit
still incorrupted and first. The best red wine of Greece ever tasted to
date. Chapeau.
The Mylopotamos wine cellar in 2009
It is funny to know that when we visited the wine cellars of
Mylopotamos, we had the opportunity to smell the wine, that was still in
its barrels, not knowing that Father Epifanios and Margerita were
making a new top-end wine. A well kept secret!
The next question is: do we have to wait till October to taste this
wine, or is there a possibility to get this wine earlier? It looks like
the "Monasteries site" does sell to other countries then Greece.....
Photo thanks to mywines.gr.