Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ

At the top of mountain Santovo, at an altitude of 1.000 meters, stands impressively the oldest monastery of the area of Kozani, which is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ. It is built inside the dense forest of oak trees, 3 kilometers outside the village of Driovouno, at an open flat area with a panoramic view to the surrounding area.

It was founded in 1592, as mentioned by the founding inscription at its catholicon, although there are references to its foundation in the beginning of the 12th century. During the Turkish Occupation and the struggle for the liberation of Macedonia it contributed significantly providing food and ammunition and became the centre of operations for the fighters, and as a matter of fact there are testimonies that it was here that Kapetan Vardas and Pavlos Melas sought refuge. The monastery was destroyed by fire in 1943 and was renovated recently, in the end of the 20th century, when they added its modern hostels.

The complex has four sides and from its initial form only the northern and the eastern side and the catholicon survive. It is a cross-in-square church with a dome supported on two columns, while at a later date they added the narthex in its western side. Its interior is richly decorated with icons of 1652, the work of Nikolaos from Linotopi in Grammos, an area from which came guilds of painters in the 16th and the 17th century. The icons are characterized by the great variety of themes, with the scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary dominating, but also by the high quality of artistry, the carefully done representations and the harmony of the colors. The narthex that was made later is covered with wall paintings. They date from 1808, and they are the work of the local painter Argyris from Krimini in the region of Voiou and are characterized by a more folk style. At the monastery there is a chapel of Cosmas of Aetolia, who, according to tradition healed its monks who suffered from an epidemic.

It is a men’s monastery and it celebrates on the 6^th of August.