Monastery of the Amalfitani, Byzantine monastery on Mount Athos, Greece.
The Monastery of the Amalfitani, also called Amalfinon or Morfonos, lies in ruins halfway between the Great Lavra and Karakallou monasteries on Mount Athos. Founded by Benedictine monks from Amalfi, it survives as masonry traces in the area still named Morfonos or Amalfinos, tended by five monks of the Great Lavra.
The monastery was founded in the 10th century by monks from the city of Amalfi, making it one of the very few Western foundations ever established on Mount Athos. Over time the community declined and the buildings fell into disuse, though parts of the site have since been restored.
The monastery was one of three Latin houses on Mount Athos, founded by Benedictine monks from Amalfi who kept Latin as their liturgical language and followed the Rule of Saint Benedict. Its abbot signed Athonite charters in Latin, second in rank after the abbot of Great Lavra. The site is now in ruins, and the surrounding area is still called Morfonos or Amalfinos after it.
Men wishing to visit Mount Athos need a special permit called a diamonitirion, and the number issued each day is strictly limited, so booking ahead is strongly recommended. Women are not permitted to enter the peninsula at all, a rule that has been in place for centuries.
The monastery was built between 985 and 990 by seven Benedictine monks led by Leo the Elder, who came at the invitation of the Georgian monks of Iviron. Its abbots signed Athonite charters in Latin, and by 1017 Abbot John signed second in rank, right after the Great Lavra. The site is now ruins, and the surrounding area is still called Morfonos or Amalfinos after it.
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