Amalfinon Monastery

Amalfinon was founded in the 10th century by monks from Amalfi, Italy.{{Cite web |last=Papathanassiou |first=Manolis |title=Tower of Morfonou |url=https://www.kastra.eu/castleen.php?kastro=morfonou |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=Καστρολόγος |language=en}} They followed the Rule of Saint Benedict and used Latin as their liturgical language.

The monastery was built between the years 985 and 990 by 7 Benedictine monks under the leadership of Leo the Elder, who was invited to build the monastic community by the Georgian Orthodox at the Iviron Monastery.{{cite web | url=https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/03/the-benedictine-monastery-of-saint-mary.html | title=The Benedictine Monastery of Saint Mary on Mount Athos }} The earliest Benedictine monastics associated with Amalfinon were close friends with Saint Athanasius of Athos, the founder of the Great Lavra.{{cite web | url=https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2019/11/benedictine-monastery-on-mount-athos | title=Benedictine Monastery on Mount Athos? | date=28 November 2019 }} By the 12th century the Amalfinon Monastery, remaining loyal to Eastern Orthodoxy,{{cite journal | url=http://www.spekali.tsu.ge/index.php/en/article/viewArticle/7/71 | title=Religious Affiliation of the Benedictine monks of Mount Athos | journal=Spekali | date=15 April 2013 | last1=Macharashvili | first1=George }}{{cite web | url=https://afonit.info/biblioteka/nasledie-svyatoj-gory/o-konfessionalnoj-prinadlezhnosti-afonskikh-benediktintsev | title=О конфессиональной принадлежности афонских бенедиктинцев - Афонит }} flourished and was held in high esteem. Records on Mount Athos show that the Abbot of Amalfinon signed, in Latin, under the signature of the Abbot of the Great Lavra.

The monastery was peacefully transferred to the Great Lavra in 1287 after suffering greatly from crusaders and being unable to repair the monastery buildings and replace monastics and clergy.{{cite web | url=https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2019/11/benedictine-monastery-on-mount-athos | title=Benedictine Monastery on Mount Athos? | date=28 November 2019 }}Aidan Keller, Amalfinon: The Western rite monastery of Mt Athos (2002) p. 14 The Holy Monastery of Amalfinon was turned over by Byzantine emperor Adronikos II Palaiologos to the hands of the Great Lavra Monastery.{{Cite web |last=Nichiporuk |first=Reader John |date=2019-11-28 |title=Benedictine Monastery on Mount Athos? |url=https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2019/11/benedictine-monastery-on-mount-athos |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=The Catalog of Good Deeds |language=en-US}}

The area surrounding the site, now called Morfonos or Amalfinos, as well as the ruins themselves, owe their names to the Monastery of Amalfinon, which was also called Morfonos. There are 5 monks of the Great Lavra tending the land around the area of Morfonos.

The monastery remained active until the 13th century, after the Great Schism in 1054. The area is still called Morfonos or Morfonou in Greek.

The affiliation of the Monastery of Amalfinon and its maintenance of Latin liturgical rites after the Great Schism have sometimes seen it described as one of the earliest examples of Western Rite Orthodoxy.{{cite web | url=https://afonit.info/biblioteka/nasledie-svyatoj-gory/o-konfessionalnoj-prinadlezhnosti-afonskikh-benediktintsev | title=О конфессиональной принадлежности афонских бенедиктинцев - Афонит }}{{cite journal | url=http://www.spekali.tsu.ge/index.php/en/article/viewArticle/7/71 | title=Religious Affiliation of the Benedictine monks of Mount Athos | journal=Spekali | date=15 April 2013 | last1=Macharashvili | first1=George }} It has been suggested by some, such as Elene Metreveli, that the monastery was affiliated with the Catholic Church after the East-West Schism.{{Cite journal |last=Macharashvili |first=George |date=2013-04-15 |title=Religious Affiliation of the Benedictine monks of Mount Athos |url=http://www.spekali.tsu.ge/index.php/en/article/viewAbstract/7/71 |journal=Spekali |language=en |issn=1987-8583}} However, multiple ecclesiastical Eastern Orthodox scholars believe the praxis of Amalfi to have remained aligned with Eastern Orthodoxy and have pointed out that expulsions of Latin Christians from Eastern Orthodox territory had occurred before, such as the expulsion of Frankish monks from the Mount of Olives in 808 for using the filioque in the Creed, or the complete expulsion of all Latins from Constantinople in 1186. Amalfinon, remaining loyal to Eastern Orthodoxy, flourished and was supported by Athos and the Byzantines long after the schism, rising to the rank of 2nd signatory after the Great Lavra. Aidan Keller, Amalfinon: The Western rite monastery of Mt Athos (2002) p. 12

List of monks and abbots of, or connected with, Amalfion:Aidan Keller (2002). Amalfinon: The Western rite monastery of Mt Athos.

• John and Arsenius, c. 984
• Elder Leo the Roman, founder of the monastery with six disciples and help from the Georgians of Iviron, c. 985-990
• John of Benevento of the monastery of Monte Cassino, c. 986-993
• Abbot John III of Cassino, c. 986-993
• Abbot John the Amalfitan and successors, c. 991-1035. It is unknown if all the signatories on the Athonite charters and registers from 991-1035 were the same Abbot John of Amalfitan or if there were multiple Abbots with the same name. In 1017, Abbot John signs 2nd in rank.
• Abbot Benedict, now signing under Byzantine Imperial Patronage, 1081
• Abbot Demetrius, Hegumen, 1083
• Abbot Vito, 1087-1108
• Abbot Manso or Mauro, 1169

• Church of Saint Mary of the Latins
• Benedict of Nursia

{{reflist}}

• [https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5fde388ca9e57d64905a6024/62ba9599497b63e73e228bab_Western%20Rite%20Monastery%20of%20Mount%20Athos.pdf Aidan Keller, Amalfinon: The Western rite monastery of Mt Athos]
• [https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/03/the-benedictine-monastery-of-saint-mary.html The Benedictine Monastery of Saint Mary on Mount Athos]
• [https://afonit.info/biblioteka/nasledie-svyatoj-gory/o-konfessionalnoj-prinadlezhnosti-afonskikh-benediktintsev О конфессиональной принадлежности афонских бенедиктинцев]
• [http://monasterium.by/fakti/amalfion-tayny-i-zagadki-benediktinskogo-monastyrya-na-afone/ Амальфион: тайны и загадки бенедиктинского монастыря на Афоне]
• [https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2019/11/benedictine-monastery-on-mount-athos Benedictine Monastery on Mount Athos (Saint Elizabeth Convent)]
• [http://www.spekali.tsu.ge/index.php/en/article/viewArticle/7/71 Peer Reviewed Assessment of the Religious Affiliation of the Benedictine monks of Mount Athos and their adherence to Greek Orthodoxy from Tbilisi State University]
• [http://logismoitouaaron.blogspot.com/2009/07/st-benedict-on-mt-athos.html Saint Benedict on Mount Athos]

{{Mount Athos}}

Category:Religious buildings and structures in Greece

Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in the 990s

Category:1287 disestablishments in Europe

Category:Benedictine monasteries in Greece

Category:Medieval Athos

Category:Christian monasteries established in the 10th century

Category:Roman Catholic monasteries in Greece

Category:10th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire

Category:Amalfi