Megisti Lavra — Archive (Imperial Acts, Patriarchal Acts, Ottoman Corpus)

1. Identification (standalone control page)

The Holy Monastery of the Great Lavra (Ιερά Μονή Μεγίστης Λαύρας), first in the Athonite hierarchy, preserves the **largest and most structurally normative archive on Mount Athos**. This page is an AthosForum **document index**, not a narrative: it itemizes documentary classes, establishes catalogue control, and provides a crosswalk to the French diplomatic editions (Actes de l’Athos) and modern classifications.

2. Document map

• Megisti Lavra hub
• Manuscripts (codices & scrolls)
• Printed books
• Treasury (icons & relics)
• Dependencies & metochia

3. Scope and quantitative profile

The Lavra archive comprises **imperial, patriarchal, synodical, private, metochial, and Ottoman documents** spanning from the 10th century to the modern period. Modern counts vary by classification layer; the archive is conventionally described as containing **hundreds of imperial acts** and **tens of thousands of post-Byzantine documents** across multiple languages (Greek dominant; Ottoman Turkish substantial; Romanian, Slavic, Latin, Arabic present).

Crucially, the Lavra archive is the **earliest Athonite archive edited diplomatically** and therefore the reference corpus for Athonite documentary method.

4. Documentary classes (structural overview)

• Imperial acts (chrysobulls, prostagmata, sigillia)
• Patriarchal and synodical acts
• Private legal instruments (sales, donations, settlements)
• Metochial documentation (leases, boundaries, fiscal records)
• Ottoman documents (firmans, berat, tax registers, court records)
• Modern administrative series (19th–20th c.)

5. Imperial acts (10th–12th centuries)

This class forms the **constitutional core** of Athonite cenobitism. Acts are preserved in original or early copies and edited in the Actes de Lavra.

6. Patriarchal and synodical acts

These documents regulate ecclesiastical jurisdiction, internal discipline, and relations with other Athonite houses.

7. Private acts and metochial documentation

This class represents the **largest numerical component** of the archive. Documents include purchases, donations, exchanges, leases, boundary settlements, and judicial resolutions tied to Lavra metochia.

8. Ottoman documentary corpus

The Ottoman layer begins in the 15th century and constitutes a **parallel legal archive** governing land tenure, taxation, and monastic status.

9. Actes de l’Athos crosswalk (Lavra volumes)

This block provides **edition control** for AthosForum users. Every archival citation should map to an Actes de Lavra volume when possible.

10. Archive crosswalk (operational shell)

This is the AthosForum mechanical crosswalk for document-level indexing.

11. Bibliographic nucleus (archive)

• Actes de Lavra, Archives de l’Athos, vols. I–IV (French diplomatic editions).
• AboutLibraries.gr — “Αρχείο Ιεράς Μονής Μεγίστης Λαύρας”.
• National Hellenic Research Foundation, Centre for Byzantine Research — Athonite archival missions.