states: [greece]
category: mixed
year: 1988
location: Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly
region: Europe and North America
latitude/longitude: 39.7166700000, 21.6333300000
In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.
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