{"id":70000,"date":"2026-06-30T08:31:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploringgreece.tv\/greece\/varlaam-meteora-monastery-the-historic-monastery-that-took-on-james-bond\/70000\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T22:49:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T19:49:06","slug":"varlaam-meteora-monastery-the-historic-monastery-that-took-on-james-bond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploringgreece.tv\/en\/greece\/varlaam-meteora-monastery-the-historic-monastery-that-took-on-james-bond\/70000\/","title":{"rendered":"Varlaam: The Monastery That Defied Gravity\u2014and James Bond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Those who have been to Meteora at some point, surely were ecstatic to admire the Varlaam Monastery, which is built on the top of a high and steep rock. It is one of the most famous and impressive monasteries of Meteora that carries a history of centuries, while its grace reached Hollywood, but probably for the wrong reasons. It was in 1980, when the monks of Varlaam took on James Bond, preaching their own unyielding and sacred struggle against the production of the film that wanted to “enchant” the space.<\/p>\n

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Meteora: Journey to the monasteries of a sacred place<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The historic<\/strong> Varlaam Monastery<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The historic Varlaam Monastery was built in 1350<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The monastery was built in 1350 by a daring ascetic Varlaam (he later gave it his name), who climbed the steep rock. After his repose, the rock remained deserted for about 200 years, until 1517 when the brother hieromonks Theofanis and Nektarios the Apsarades, who were rich children from Ioannina, climbed. They found the rock of Varlaam completely deserted and built the first buildings from scratch. The transportation of materials is said to have lasted 22 years and the construction only 20 days.<\/p>\n

In 1563 the imposing tower of Vrizoni was built, while in 1541 the katholikon of the monastery dedicated to All Saints was built. The oldest of the hagiographies that exist in Varlaam date back to 1548 and their creator is the leading representative of the post-Byzantine school of northwestern Greece, Frango Katelanos.<\/p>\n

\"Varlaam<\/picture>
A lot happened in Varlaam Monastery until it took its present form<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Until the 16th century the presence of monks was continuous. From the beginning of the 17th century onwards they remained few, when the decline began. In the early years, the ascent was done with wooden stairs that hung with stakes from the rock, creating a gap between them. The monks were forced to jump from one staircase to another at the risk of losing their lives. Over the centuries, the way of ascent has evolved to reach today, where the lifting is done with electricity.<\/p>\n

When Varlaam Monastery took on James Bond<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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When Varlaam Monastery took on James Bond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Varlaam is the most famous of the rest of Meteora. However, her fame reached all the way to Hollywood, for the wrong reasons. In the autumn of 1980, the legendary James Bond, played by Roger Moore, arrived in Greece to shoot the film “For Your Eyes Only”, part of which took place in the Ionian Sea and in Meteora.<\/p>\n

And while there was no problem at the first location, things were difficult for the producers of the Hollywood film when they arrived at the second-most-important center of monasticism in our country, after Mount Athos. According to the script, the evil Christatos finds refuge in Meteora, specifically at the Varlaam Monastery. James Bond pursues him, and all sides prepare for the final showdown against the backdrop of the imposing Meteora.<\/p>\n

And despite the fact that the scenes had nothing provocative, the monks of Varlaam reacted strongly, claiming that the film includes scenes of robberies, violence, and sex, brutally insulting the sanctity of Meteora. When they saw that his reactions did not meet with a response and filming began, they moved on to more… drastic measures! Four monks barricaded themselves inside the monastery, barring anyone from entering, while threatening to burn alive anyone who tried to approach, especially Roger Moore, whom they seem to have targeted.<\/p>\n

Watch the related video<\/strong><\/p>\n