Last evening, we walked about Meteora, fascinated not just by the many monasteries but also by the dozens of hermitages built in caves hundreds of years ago. “Cave-dwelling asceticism in Meteora was an early form of monasticism, practiced by hermits or recluse monks. They created small places of prayer inside the caves that served as their hermitages, with the first monastic community formed in the twelfth century. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the hermits ascended to higher rock pillars, with the help of stakes, ropes, and ladders.” We woke up this morning and went exploring again after breakfast. The Hermitage of St. Nicolas Bandovas dates from 1387 and is a 6 story building inside a cave. There are hermitages all over Meteora, and some low enough you can see inside them. The high ones are fascinating, to think how the hermits got to them and lived there.
