Greece is set to fund seven significant infrastructure projects on Mount Athos via the Human Resources and Infrastructure Development Operational Programme. The projects target the monasteries of Karakal, Koutloumous, Xenophon, Great Lavra, Simonopetra, and Saint Paul, with a combined budget of EUR 5.3 million. Planned activities include restoring main buildings, reinforcing retaining walls, transforming old areas into icon painting and sewing studios, and creating elderly care spaces. Specific initiatives involve the restoration of the Catholicon and tower at Karakal Monastery, part of Koutloumous’ western wing, a new wing for Xenophon Monastery, and the refurbishment of the Assumption of the Virgin cell in the St. Anna Skete. Additionally, the Simonopetra Monastery’s old oil mill will become an exhibition area with a mezzanine for icon painting and sewing studios, and elderly care facilities will be established in one wing of “St. Paul.”
These efforts aim to protect and preserve Athos’s unique cultural and spiritual heritage. “The holy monasteries, hermitages, and cells represent a monumental wealth that belongs to us all. With these projects, we make the buildings safe and functional, both for the monks and for the millions of believers from all over the world,” stated Athina Aidona, regional governor of the Central Macedonia region.













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