The Monastery of Philotheou is one of twenty monasteries on the Mount Athos peninsula and is located on the eastern side of the peninsula. It is twelfth in hierarchical rank among the monasteries. The name of 'Philotheou' is named after its founder, St Philotheos, and is derived from two Greek words which mean 'Beloved of God'. Philotheou functions as a coenobitic monastery.
Founded by St Philotheos in the last quarter of the 10th century, it was obscure until Serbian and Bulgarian monks settled there between the 14th and 16th centuries. As the Slav monks left, the monastery again became obscure; until the 18th century, when the Greek princes of Moldavia and Wallachia made grants to the monastery, with which the brotherhood had guest quarters, cells and chapels built.
In 1746, the central church was built, and over the next thirty years had fresco's painted, including the Mother of God Glykofiloussa and scenes from Revelation. Additionally, there are ten chapels connected to the monastery, four inside the monastery proper and six outside.
Philotheou possesses the wonderworking icon of the Mother of God Gerontissa, and it's library has 250 manuscript codices and two parchment rolls of the Divine Liturgy. The sacristy contains a piece of the True Cross and the right hand of St John Chrysostom, among other relics.
References:Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.
The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.