Exceptionally imposing is the rock situated opposite the Holy Monastery of the Holy Meteoron. On this towering rock of the stone forest stands the 373 metres high Holy Monastery of Varlaam.

The first ascetics used scaffolds that rested in pot logs, placed in the rock’s holes to scramble up the rock. 

The first occupier of this Holy Monastery was monk Varlaam who built some cells and a church dedicated to the Three Patriarchs in 1350 A.D. 

Soon the Monastery got deserted, but it was renewed by the Ioannites monks Theofanes and Nektarios in 1518 A.D. They reconstructed the Church of All Saints and the Church of St John Prodromos which constitute two of the most gorgeous Churches on Meteora. 

The access to the Monastery was carried out through scaffolds which were later on replaced by large rope-ladders and by a net which is still used for the transfer of food supplies and items necessary to ensure the Monastery’s maintenance. 

In 1923, the monks built 195 steps on the rock, guiding people safely to the top of it.

 The Main Church, the Katholikon, in the Athonite type was consecrated in honour of All Saints. It was erected in 1541-1542 as attested by the inscriptions.

 The Church consists of the Narthex, the Main Church and the Bema. The dedicatory inscription mentions that the Church was erected in 20 days’ time. The concentration and the transfer of the materials up the rock lasted about 22 years. 

Reportedly, Theofanes himself was worn out and bedridden due to a severe illness that kept him in bed for ten whole months. As soon as he got informed that the work had been completed, he deployed his remaining courage and eagerly went to the Church. He blessed all the present company, he raised his hands, glorified and thanked God and the All Saints. He returned to his cell and died in 17^th May 1544.  

In the Holy Bema the representation of the Virgin of the Sign or the Platytera ton Ouranon is extremely impressive thanks to the blaze of the gold and the rest of the colours as well as the mildness of her facial expression.  

The Abbatial Throne and the two lecterns which are adorned with tessera and bear patterns made of marble and ivory were constructed during the reign of the Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Anatolio, Stagon Paisios (1784-1808 A.D.) as someone can witness in the inscription in one of the lecterns.  

The impressive frescos in the Main Church of the Katholikon are considered to be some of the best in Meteora and have been painted by the well known iconographer Frangos Katelanos in the middle of the 15^th century. 

The Chancel Screen of the Main Church is carven and gilded with representations of the vegetable and animal kingdom. 

The frescos of the Narthex were painted in 1566 A.D. by the priest Georgios and his brother Frangos, according to the inscriptions.  

The tombs of Nectarios and Theofanes are still there. At the Monastery one can also notice the chancel Table (nowadays it is a museum), the Hospital, the Cook-room and the Nursing home. 

At the beginning of the 17^th century a fully organized bibliographical laboratory was in operation, where specialized calligraphists and penmen used to work. There was also a gold embroidery lab.Another building one can find at the Monastery is the vestry-Museum which has been repaired in the past few years. There are 290 remarkable documents, ecclesiastic heirlooms, post-byzantine portable pictures, gold-embroidered canonicals and the impressive gold-embroidered Epitafios, in green velvet, a work that dates back to 1609. Rare enough are the Monastery’s incunabula. 

The chapel of the Three Hierarchs is situated in the northwest side of the rock. It was built in 1627 and the murals were painted by  the Priest Ioannis from Kalampaka in 1637.  

The church is among others painted with 24 scenes of the The Akathist Hymn and two exquisite syntheses, that of the Dormition of Efraim the Syrian, and the one of the Dormition of John the Chrysostom.

Translation by Christine Boutsia