Monastery of Agios Dimitrios Zaloggou

The monastery is located on the foothills of the Zalongo Mountain, under the monument of Souliotisses and close to the remains of the ancient city of Cassope.

The current shape of the monastery is of restricted dimensions, single-ended with a polygonal dome. The nave of the church is nowadays ruined.

Unfortunately, we cannot tell the exact year that the monastery was built at the new place, because the date of construction found on a sign is not evident. However, it cannot have been built before 1800.

The internal part of the church is filled with mural paintings of 1816, as the sign found on the west gate indicates. It is about a piece of art made by a guild of painters from Korytiani Katsanochorion. A third sign, found above the gate of the fence of the monastery, reports the date of 27 February 1831. So, we estimate that this was the time when the rest of the buildings of the monastery were built, the monks’ cellars, guesthouses etc), which have suffered many posterior interventions.

The monastery of Zalongo has been listed historic, according to Greek Official Gazette 35/2.2.62 vol β΄ and 404/6.7.65 vol β΄.

References

Chr. Soulis, Chronicles of Epirus 9, 1934, page 110

A. Georgantzi, Epirotiki estia 1954, page 377

F. Vitalis, The Zalongo Monastery, Athens 1959.

D. Triantafyllopoulos, AD 1975, Chronicles.