Orthodox Monasteries of Italy and Malta
Submitted by Athos on March 28, 2026 - 11:35am
Orthodox Monasteries of Italy and Malta
A reference page for Athos Forum, arranged by region, with statistics, Byzantine and Greek monasteries of southern Italy, Sicily, modern Orthodox foundations, and the Orthodox communities of Malta.
Italy and Malta
Italy preserves one of the oldest Orthodox monastic traditions in Western Europe. Southern Italy and Sicily formed part of the Byzantine world for centuries, and Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, and Sicily preserve the memory of hundreds of Greek and Byzantine monasteries. In recent decades, new Orthodox monasteries have also been founded in northern and central Italy under Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, and local jurisdictions. Malta has only a small modern Orthodox presence.
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Orthodox monasteries and convents in Italy and Malta
Orthodox monasteries and convents in Italy and Malta
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principal historic regions: Calabria, Sicily, and Apulia
principal historic regions: Calabria, Sicily, and Apulia
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active women’s monasteries and convents
active women’s monasteries and convents
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historic Byzantine monasteries once existed in southern Italy
historic Byzantine monasteries once existed in southern Italy
The principal concentration of Orthodox monasteries lies in Calabria, Sicily, southern Italy, Rome, and northern Italy. The greatest historic centres are the Greek monasteries of Byzantine Calabria and Sicily.
This page follows the same structure established for the other Orthodox countries and regions in this series.
Principal Monasteries of Italy and Malta
- Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis – Calabria. The most famous surviving Byzantine Orthodox monastery in Italy.
- Monastery of Santa Maria del Patire – Rossano, Calabria. Historic Greek monastery of medieval southern Italy.
- Monastery of Grottaferrata – near Rome. The most important Italo-Greek monastery in Italy, founded in 1004.
- Monastery of Saint Elijah the Younger – Calabria. Historic Byzantine monastic foundation.
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Casole – near Otranto, Apulia. One of the greatest medieval Greek monasteries in southern Italy.
- Monastery of the Mother of God – Sicily. Modern Orthodox monastery associated with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
- Orthodox Monastery of Saint Peter and Paul – Malta. Principal Orthodox monastic community of Malta.
Calabria and Southern Italy
- Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis – Bivongi, Calabria. The foremost surviving Byzantine monastery in Italy.
- Monastery of Santa Maria del Patire – Rossano. Historic Greek monastery founded in the eleventh century.
- Monastery of Saint Elijah the Younger – Palmi region. Important monastic centre associated with the Greek ascetic tradition.
- Monastery of Saint Elias Speleotes – Calabria. Historic cave monastery.
- Monastery of Saint Fantinus – Calabria. Ancient monastic foundation associated with the Greek-speaking communities of the south.
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Casole – Apulia. Great intellectual centre of Byzantine southern Italy.
- Monastery of Santa Maria di Pulsano – Gargano. Historic monastic centre with Byzantine connections.
Sicily and the Islands
- Monastery of the Mother of God – Sicily. Principal modern Orthodox monastery in Sicily.
- Monastery of Saint Philip of Agira – Sicily. Historic Byzantine monastic foundation.
- Monastery of Saint Luke of Demenna – Sicily. Historic Greek monastery of medieval Sicily.
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas at Messina – Messina. Orthodox monastery associated with the Greek communities of Sicily.
- Monastery of Saint Andrew – Syracuse region. Orthodox monastery of southeastern Sicily.
Rome, Central, and Northern Italy
- Monastery of Grottaferrata – near Rome. The principal Italo-Greek monastery of Italy.
- Monastery of Saint Nilos – Grottaferrata. Historic continuation of the Byzantine monastic tradition near Rome.
- Monastery of Saint Catherine – Tuscany. Modern Orthodox monastery.
- Monastery of the Transfiguration – northern Italy. Orthodox monastic foundation serving the Russian and Romanian communities.
- Monastery of Saint Seraphim of Sarov – northern Italy. Modern Orthodox monastery.
- Monastery of Saint John the Baptist – Emilia-Romagna. Important monastery associated with modern Orthodoxy in Italy.
Malta
- Orthodox Monastery of Saint Peter and Paul – Malta. The principal Orthodox monastery in Malta.
- Orthodox Convent of Saint Mary of Egypt – Malta. Small women’s monastery serving the Orthodox community of the island.
Female Monasteries and Convents of Special Importance
- Convent of the Mother of God – Sicily. Principal Orthodox women’s monastery of Sicily.
- Convent of Saint Catherine – Tuscany. Women’s monastery of central Italy.
- Convent of Saint Mary of Egypt – Malta. Principal Orthodox women’s monastery of Malta.
- Convent of Saint Paraskeva – Calabria. Orthodox women’s monastic community.
- Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God – northern Italy. Modern Orthodox convent.
Observations
- Calabria and Sicily preserve the richest surviving Byzantine Orthodox monastic heritage in Western Europe.
- Grottaferrata remains the principal Italo-Greek monastery and the best-known Orthodox monastery in central Italy.
- Most modern Orthodox monasteries in Italy are associated with immigrant Greek, Romanian, Russian, and Serbian communities.
- Malta has only a very small Orthodox monastic presence, consisting mainly of recent foundations.
- Among the best-known monasteries internationally are San Giovanni Theristis, Grottaferrata, Santa Maria del Patire, Saint Nicholas of Casole, and the Byzantine monasteries of Calabria.
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