Saint Dionysios of Olympus

The Monastery of Agios Dionysios in Olympus (Greek: Μονή Αγίου Διονυσίου εν Ολύμπω) is a Greek Orthodox monastery on the slopes of Mount Olympus, the most important monastery in the Pieria Prefecture. It is located at the Enipeas ravine at an altitude of 850 m . The original monastery, established in 1542, was destroyed by the Germans in 1943. A new monastery was established at a distance of some 5 km to the northeast of the old one, closer to the town of Litochoro . Today, the Agios Dionysios Monastery is a stavropegic monastery, subordinated directly to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Beside the monasteries Kanalon and Agia Triada, Sparmos, Agios Dionysios is one of the monasteries located at Mount Olympus. Originally the name of the ancient monastery was Agia Triada (Greek: Αγία Τριάδα) meaning Holy Trinity. In time however, the name of its founder, Saint Dionysios of Olympus, has prevailed. The new monastery was named directly after Saint Dionysios. The old monastery was founded and devoted to the Holy Trinity by Saint Dionysios in 1542. Surrounded by strong high walls with a sizable watchtower, it resembles a small fortress. During various conflicts it served as a shelter for civilians, as well as fighting troops. The monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout its history. It was destroyed in 1821 by Veli Pasha and again by the German Wehrmacht in April 1943. The German military first bombed the monastery and later demolished it with explosives to prevent its use as refuge for Greek resistance fighters. Today visitors can visit the old monastery's ruins just off the road from Litochoro to Prionia. The chapel of Saint Dionysios is about a twenty minute walk from the old monastery. It is located on the Enipeas River in a southeasterly direction from the monastery, built under an overhanging rock just above a spring.