The Holy Monastery of Vatopedi is the second-ranking monastery in the hierarchical order of Mount Athos. It is built on a picturesque shore of the bay that shares its name, located approximately in the middle of the northeastern side of the Athos peninsula, very close to the sea. Dr. Ioakeim Papangelos (Archaeologist) and Dr. Florin Marinescu (Historian and Researcher) refer to the rich and invaluable archival material preserved at the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi. Its library and archives contain 2,050 manuscripts, one-third of which are written on parchment. It also houses 25 parchment scrolls. A portion of its 40,000 printed books is kept there, many of which are incunabula and rare editions. The Monastery's archive includes 310,000 documents, among them numerous Byzantine imperial chrysobulls, patriarchal sigillia, and other valuable records. The Holy Monastery of Vatopedi also preserves a sacred treasury of significant religious relics, including a large number of portable icons, gold-embroidered vestments, and works of Byzantine and post-Byzantine minor art. These items form one of the most important collections of sacred relics preserved anywhere in the world and are distinguished by their high artistic quality.
