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Xeropotamou Monastery
Xeropotamou occupies a prominent ridge in the middle of the peninsula above the road from Daphne to Karyes. This beautiful and imposing monastery, dedicated to the Forty Martyrs (feast day March 9th) overlooks the calm blue waters of the Singitic Gulf.
The katholikon, dedicated to the Forty Martyrs, was restored between 1761-63 by Kaisarios Dapontes, and decorated with frescoes about twenty years later in 1783. It stands in the centre of the paved court, oriented slightly to the north because of the slope of the ground. It follows the typical Athonite plan, although, except for the relatively small sanctuary, it is very spacious. Its walls are enriched by ceramic decoration. In one corner of the facade of the exo-narthex, a Middle Byzantine bas-relief with a full-length figure of St. Demetrios has been built into the wall. Two other bas-reliefs on the bell-tower show the heads of Puleheria and St. Paul, bearing the inscription "St. Paul Xeropotaminos son of the most reverend Michael, 1738".
The carved wooden iconostasis, contemporary with, or perhaps slightly later than the church, is a superb piece of work. There are more than 200 portable icons in the sanctuary, the choirs and elsewhere: some of them are worthy of note.The monastery has a magnificent collection of treasures. The most famous is perhaps the largest known fragment of the True Cross, which is contained within a wooden crucifix. In this fragment one of the holes left by the nails which fastened Christ to the Cross is visible. According to one tradition this was the gift of Pulcheria, according to another, the gift of the Emperor Romanos I.
Other, smaller fragments of the Cross are displayed here along with the relics of many saints, many valuable episcopal staffs, two of which are made of amber, gold-embroidered vestments and liturgical plate, crucifixes, pectorals, cups and many Gospel Books with rich bindings.
One of the greatest treasures of the monastery, which we shall describe fully in a later chapter, is the steatite paten "of Pulcheria" of the type known as panaghiaria. A work of great skill and patience, it is just 15 cm in diameter.
On this relatively small surface are carved a host of microscopic figures surrounding the central scene, the "Hetoimasia" of the Throne.
The library is housed together with the treasury above the narthex of the katholikon. It contains 409 manuscripts, of which 20 are written on parchment and the remainder are modern and written on paper. A few are decorated mainly with ornamental headpieces and capital letters decorated with rich coiling tendrils. There are about 4,000 printed books.
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