Monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity)

At a beautiful, green location, on the southwestern slopes of mount Olympus, at an elevation of 1,000 meters, near the village of Sparmos in Elassona, is the monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity).

It was founded in the middle of the 16th century even though tradition claims that its history is even longer. It flourished greatly, both intellectually and financially, in the 18th century, obtained several metochia, became the centre of education for a lot of priests and scholars and supported financially the School of Tsaritsani. It has excellent library, which included manuscript codices and rare books not only theological, but also regarding mathematics, mythology, geography and ancient Greek, while for many years at its areas they copied and published texts and a bookbinder's workshop was there as well. During the Turkish Occupation it became the refuge for the fighters of Mount Olympus and for this reason they Turks torched it in 1822. In the beginning of the 20th century it fell into decline and in 1932 it was abandoned, but since 2000, after the full renovation of its areas, it has operated, once again, as a men’s monastery.

The monastery is surrounded by tall, two-storey buildings with cells and auxiliary areas, which create a precinct. At the centre is the catholicon, dedicated to Agia Triada (Holy Trinity). It is an aisleless, stone church, which was initially barrel-vaulted, but today it is covered by a saddleback roof that has been added later. Internally its roof is flat, wooden, with decorated elaborate coffers. According to an inscription that survives at the narthex, the church was renovated in 1633 and the wall paintings are the work of Georgios and the priest Ioannis. At its interior dominates the icon of Agia Triada which dates from the period 1835-1838 and brings a metallic cover constructed in 1841 in Tsaritsani. There is a hostel at the complex, and at its building there are chapels of Agios Charalambos and Agios Ioannis Prodromos. The monastery celebrates on the day of the Holy Spirit.