Rousanou Monastery - Privileged Location

The origin of its name remains unknown, but it is certain that the Rousanou Monastery (or Roussánou) is built in a prominent position, in the heart of the stone forest of Meteora.

Μονή Ρουσάνου

The Rousanou Monastery (Saint Barbara), having visual contact with the Great Meteoron, the Varlaam Monastery and the Anapafsas Monastery to the north, and with the Holy Trinity Monastery to the south, must be considered “privileged.” The first settlers of the rock are believed to be the hieromonks Nikodimos and Benediktos, who arrived here in 1388 AD and built a small church.

However, the official founders of the monastery are the monks Maximos and Ioasaf, who around 1530 AD rebuilt from the ground up the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, which is the katholikon of the monastery, where you can see remarkable frescoes of the Cretan School by an unknown artist (possibly Tzortzis). In the monastery you will also find a chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara. From the 19th century onward, the monastery went through a long period of decline. Between 1948 and 1971, the only resident here was Sister Eusevia. When the elder nun passed away, the monastery became deserted, and the only visitors were some monks from the Varlaam Monastery, who used it as a place of quiet retreat.