Kalabaka

Kalabaka

The town of Kalabaka is the seat of the municipality of Meteora, in the Trikala regional unit of Thessaly. The famous Meteora monasteries are located near the town. On the wall of one of the oldest churches in the town, a Greek inscription bears witness to the existence of an ancient Greek settlement known as Aiginion. It was known as Stagoi in the 10th century AD, and was a Byzantine fortress and bishopric. The only medieval monument still standing is the cathedral, the Church of the Dormition. This building dates from the late 11th or early 12th century and was constructed on the remains of a previous, late antique church. The oldest and most famous church in the city, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, contains the remains of an ancient Greek temple, probably of the god Apollo. The town was named Kalabaka six or seven centuries ago, a name of Turkish origin meaning " a powerful fortress ". Stagoi was an episcopal see from the beginning of the 10th century, and thus enjoyed the privileges and gifts of the Byzantine emperors during the Middle Ages. It owned considerable tracts of land and had some dependent farmers in adjacent settlements. In addition to the fields of north-western Thessaly, its territory covered an area of extensive mountainous belt in Asia and central Pindos. The bishopric of Stagoi continued, with minor interruptions, until 1900, when it was united with the bishopric of Tricca and the Metropolis of Tricca, and Stagoi was created, with its seat in the city of Trikala. The diocese was re-established in 1991, and since then has been known as the Metropolis of Stagoi and Meteora, with its seat in the town of Kalabaka.