On the location where Lavra stands now there used to be an old antique Greek town, and undoubtedly there would have been a pagan temple on the spot where the Catholicon stands now. As you can see, there is evidence enough, starting with the columns outside the refectory – with some of the capitals upside down ! –

and these Corinthian capitals lie on the nearby walls:

And it showed out that the monks collected quite a few antique items the last years, because here you see some interesting findings of old Greek stones (in what I have calling “The Open Air Museum” of Lavra).

At the far end of the monastery, not far from the treasury, a corridor is almost completely filled up old stuff that was used by the monastery, including some recently wasted artifacts:

and also three canons (one made of bronze).

The large monastery looks like an old medieval town. Here a well-known picture of the entrance of the refectory

and, on the opposite site, the Phiale and the Catholicon:

and a lot of work is done to renovate the SW-corner (picture taken in the courtyard of the SW-wing):

The renovation of the guesthouse is already finished,

and a former storage-room in the courtyard is nowadays also used as guesthouse.

And not one, but two cranes “pollute” the unspoiled image of the ancient buildings (on the foreground the treasury):

Today I finish with the (obsolete) plan of Lavra from the Feigl-book and a recent picture of Google Earth:

Wim Voogd, 29/4