# Great Lavra on Mount Athos (963)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/963-great-lavra-on-mount-athos
Location: Mount Athos, Greece
Themes: Monasticism

Athanasius the Athonite founds the Great Lavra, the first major monastery on Mount Athos. At this point in the timeline (963), the Bishop of Rome was Pope John XII (16 December 955 – 6 December 963).

## Why it matters
Great Lavra on Mount Athos mattered because it shaped the religious life of monks, nuns and orders who carried learning, prayer and charity through the centuries.

Pope at the time: [Pope Leo VIII](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-leo-viii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Great Lavra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lavra)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Great Lavra on Mount Athos](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Great+Lavra+on+Mount+Athos)
- [Wikipedia — Medieval Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church#Middle_Ages)