South to Distomo and the Monastery of Hosios Loukas
 The War Memorial of Distomo, sitting on a hill above the town, commemorates the villagers who were massacred by German soldiers in 1941 as reprisal for their resistance to the occupation.
From Trikala we travel south towards the Gulf of Corinth, passing Thessalian farms, through Karditsa (the first city in Europe to be liberated from German occupation in 1943). Summer rains in these plains have created a rich area known as the "breadbasket" of Greece. Grain, cattle, and sheep are the chief products of this region. Vlach shepherds move their flocks between mountain elevations. We pass several herds grazing near large fields of olive trees. 200 Kilometers from the Pefkis Studio in Trikala we arrive in the Boeotian town of Distomo, in the western foothills of Mt. Helicon. In June of 1944 Distomo was the site of a terrible German massacre of over 200 village residants as a reprisal for their resistance to the Axis occupation. But even before the monastery of Hosios Loukas was built was the ancient site of Stiris. Close by is the stunning historic walled Monastery of Hosios Loukas (Venerable St. Luke) founded in the 10th century by the monk-hermit Lukas.This monastery represents the architectural style of Middle Byzantine period and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main ("newer") church, dedicated to Hosios Lukas, is a cross-domed octagon shape; its unique facade is a combination of old stones layered between red bricks. The interior feature of this monastery is an almost perfectly preserved collection of 11th c. Byzantine wall mosaics. Gold mosaic surrounds each figure. The monastery church (katholikon) houses the relics of the hermit monk St. Lukas, and many visitors come specifically to venerate him. Lukas was born and became an ascetic in Athens and came to Diatom where he created a monastic community that became the present site. He became popular for his prediction of the liberation of Crete from the Arabs in 961. The distinct exterior look of this monastery are the many stone and brick arches. Hosios Loukas, like many Byzantine monasteries, is a fortified-like series of closely spaced buildings, consisting here of two churches, the large one of Hosios Lukas and the older, smaller one dedicated to the Panageia Theotokos; there is also a refectory, a bell tower, workshops, and monastic cells, typically placed around a large courtyard. There is an animal stable (now housing some of beautiful post-Byzantine religious relics and art. The whole complex is walled. The many arched windows have small holes that allow playful refracted light to illuminate the interior space. There is an underground water cistern adding to the self-sufficiency of many Byzantine monasteries which were like cities unto themselves. While the complex was begun by imperial donations from Byzantine Emperors Romanos II and Basil II (his son), local aristocrats contributed to its construction and maintenance witnessed by their fresco depictions inside the main church. They are remarkably undamaged and the monastery has been compared to the Monastery of Daphni in Athens. The mosaics represent post the Iconoclastic (ending in 868) revival of Byzantine fresco and mosaic design under the Macedonian emperors. Another element during this period is the use of multi colored marble walls. 
Early 20th c. sketch of the Hosios Loukas grounds and buildings.
Hosios Loukas, founder of the monastery, Mosaic.
Exterior dome of the church of the Theotokos. Note the decorative stone work. These Byzantine motifs in interior spaces separate the sections of mosaics or frescoes and add to a unifying design.
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The road from Trikala to Distomo. Slightly west of Ditomo lie the ancient ruins of Delphi.
The Bell Tower of Hosios Loukas
Exterior view of Hosios Loukas. The Katholikon dome is on the left and the Dome of the Theotokos church on the right.
Side view of Hosios Loukas showing outer courtyard wall.
Arched colonnade walls of the monastic cells and inner courtyard.
Arch ceiling of crypt beneath the Katholikon with mosaics and decorative Byzantine borders.
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Mosaics, Frescoes, Walls, and Domes
The dome of the central church is one of the largest of its kind in Greece, spanning 9 meters. The domes of Byzantine/Orthodox churches represent the heavenly realm but also depicts the liturgical cycles of the church, down to the temporal/earthly depiction and veneration of local and/or more minor saints.
