Pyrgos Arsana I.M. St. Paul #1317

Description

Simonopetra Monastery, also known as Simonos Petras, holds the 13th rank in the hierarchy of Mount Athos monasteries. The monastery building itself is seven stories high, perched atop a steep, granite rock rising 300 meters above the ground.

The monastery’s arsanás is situated on the beach, where the gorge descending from the monastery meets the sea.

The tower at the arsanás is four stories high and was constructed in 1567.

History
The monastery was founded in 1257 by Saint Simon. Between 1365 and 1371, it was renovated and expanded by the Serbian lord of Serres, John Uglješa. The monastery has suffered three major fires: in 1581, 1622, and 1891. Its current structure took shape after the last major fire in 1891.

Today, Simonopetra’s small harbor includes a tower, a workers' building, and two arsanás buildings—the old and the new.

The buildings within the arsanás complex were constructed in phases. The four-story tower, from the oldest phase, was rebuilt in 1567, according to an inscription above its entrance, funded by a noble from the Wallachian princely court.