Asteriou Monastery (Monastery of Pammegiston Taxiarchon Michail & Gavriil)

At a wooded, calm slope of mount Hymettus, with a panoramic view towards the basin of Athens, on the northeastern of the Kaisariani Monastery, is the monastery of Asterion. It is dedicated to Taxiarches and is mentioned with the names Asteriou or Asteri, for which various views have been proposed, but research has given no clear interpretation.

The tradition relates its history to Osios Loukas of Steiri, who was active in the 10th century, however this theory seems to be wrong, since the architectural ruins of the monastery date back to the 16th century. The catholicon existed at least since 1646, as it is shown by the carvings that exist on its walls. According to the inscription that survives in the church, the monastery was a patriarchal stauropegic one since 1716. It had educational activity and had an excellent library, which was scattered in 1687 with the invasion of the Venetians under Morosini, while later, in 1826-1827, the last remains were gone, which have been transferred to the Acropolis in Athens for greater safety. In 1833, according to a law by the regency of Otto the monastery was dissolved and was abandoned. In 1960 queen Frederica undertook its renovation and to add new buildings.

The complex has the form of a fortress which develops inside a four-squared precinct. At its centre is the catholicon, which belongs to the type of complex four columned, cross-in-square church with a tripartite narthex on the western side. Its walls are built according to rubble masonry and its dome, which belongs to the simplified “Athenian” type, is supported by four columns that are shaped by limestone plastered drums. The interior of the church was decorated by wall paintings, fragments of which survive mainly in the main church and the narthex. They are the works of a simple and provincial art, which date to the 16th century. At the complex, apart from the catholicon, today survive the cells, the refectory and the external area, the fountain.

The monastery is the metochi of the Petraki Monastery and it celebrates on the 8th of November.