Kaisariani Monastery - The Bath House

The Bath House

Kaisariani's bath house, along with those that have been salvaged in Daphni and Dervenossalessi of Kithairon, are examples of 11th century architecture which confirm the belief that monks often used bath houses. Warm water was used for heating the cells, the refectory, etc.

The buildings located on the left of the eastern entrance, across from the south side of the catholicon encircle a natural source. It is covered by a semi-spherical unvaulted cupola, which is supported by four pendentives. These small pendentives, which support the protective roof, have been destroyed because, as we have previously mentioned, it was transformed into an olive press. The jars, which have been preserved, testify to this transformation.

The great earthquake of 1981 caused serious damage to parts of the monastery complex, particularly to the bath house and refectory. Eleven years later, the Minister of Cultural Affairs appointed the Philodassiki Enossi Athinon, a Greek NGO, to administer the restoration of the bath house under the supervision of the First Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Archeological Service. Before the restoration could be completed, the 1999 earthquake once again interrupted the works, this time for many years.

A later Minister of Cultural Affairs assigned the implementation of a new study, drafted by the Directory of Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Monuments of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the Philodassiki inasmuch as they would also assume complete financial responsibility for the works. The works were nonetheless resumed, to be again interrupted, indefinitely this time, for technical reasons that had nothing to do with the Philodassiki itself.