The Monastery of St. Giovanni Therestis was built in the XI th Century in the territory of Bivongi in Calabria. The Calabria was under Byzantine rule until the beginning of the XI th Century, allowing the region preserve the greek culture and language and in the territory to develop the greek-orthodox Christianity of the Byzantine rite. The mount Aspromonte in those centuries became one of the main goals of the Basilian monks coming from East, especially in the VII th century, when there was the Iconoclasm. Here were built many monasteries, especially in the Valley of Amendolea River and of Stilaro River and there were several saints greeks-italians. Just in the valley of Stilaro lived and worked in the X th century Saint Giovanni Theristis (= ‘the reaper’) . To him is dedicated the Monastery. His mother was kidnapped by Saracens pirates and was brought in Palermo (Sicily) as a slave, instead his father was killed. The child grew up in the Christian faith and at the age of 14 years the mother invited him to return to his native country, where he was baptized and where in the course of time made many miracles.

Music: – Axion Estin, Kyrie Eleison
Voice: Divna Ljubojevic
- Alleluiarion
Choir: The Masters of Psaltic Art
Photo of Father Kosmas by Leandro Mallamaci (a great tribute to a special person)
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Il Monastero greco-ortodosso di San Giovanni Theristis, a Bivongi in provincia di Reggio Calabria, appartiene all’Arcidiocesi ortodossa d’Italia, parte del Patriarcato di Costantinopoli. La Calabria fu sotto il dominio bizantino sino agli inizi dell’XI secolo, permettendo che la regione conservasse la cultura e la lingua greca e che nel territorio si sviluppasse il cristianesimo greco-ortodosso di rito bizantino. L’Aspromonte divenne in quei secoli una delle principali mete dei monaci basiliani provenienti dall’oriente, soprattutto nel VII secolo, durante l’iconoclastia. Qui sorsero moltissimi monasteri, soprattutto nella Vallata dell’Amendolea e nella Vallata dello Stilaro e vi furono parecchi santi italo-greci. Proprio nella vallata dello Stilaro visse ed oper