ABSTRACT
The building complex of the Vatopedi monastery represents one of the largest and undoubtedly one of the most important monastic complexes on Mt Athos. The various buildings of the monastery - about thirty-five inside and fifty outside the main building complex - date from the end of the tenth century to the beginning of the twentieth. The patrons of many of these structures are known to us thanks to inscriptions and literary sources. This paper attempts a preliminary presentation of the history of the architecture and decoration of the Vatopedi buildings in association with their patrons. The monastery's katholikon will be presented first, and in some detail, to be followed by a brief presentation of the other buildings.
