The Monastery of Hosios Loukas was built in the early 11th century to house the relics of the monk, the Blessed Luke, who was by then a famous local saint. It soon became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in all Greece. Abbots from the ranks of the aristocracy ensured that the construction and decoration of the Katholikon (main church) befitted the prestige of the community’s founder. The grandeur of the building and its sumptuous decoration indicate the patrons` wealth and social standing; the sophistication of the iconographic program indicates their profound theological background. The mosaics in the main church and the wall paintings in the side chapels and crypt were created by great masters invited from Constantinople. Hosios Loukas, the largest and best preserved monastic foundation in Greece, with its exceptionally fine decoration, is a high point in Byzantine Art. (...)

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