Roussanou Monastery (Meteora)
The Roussanou Monastery, also Agia Varvaras Roussanou Monastery, in Meteora is one of six active monasteries in the Meteora monastery complex in Greece. The monastery is dedicated to St. Barbara.
History
The monastery was founded in 1545 by the brothers Joasaph and Maximos of Ioannina on the site of an earlier church. In 1614, the monastery became an auxiliary of Varlaam Monastery.
For two centuries before World War II, Roussanou Monastery was in disrepair. In 1940, during the German occupation, the monastery was plundered by the Germans. Following the war, the monastery was repaired by an archaeological service and, since 1988, it has been occupied by a community of nuns. Today, entry to the monastery is over a small bridge from another pinnacle.
Facilities
The monastery consists of a three story building on top of a towering pinnacle. The Church of the Transfiguration of Christ occupies the ground level along with nuns' cells. The second and third levels are occupied, in addition to more cells, by quest quarters, receptions halls, and an exhibition room.
The frescos in the church date from 1560 and are smaller versions of those in Varlaam Monastery.
