The Holy Monastery of Saint Athanasius, today a part of the Holy Monastery of Saint Lavra of Kalavrita, is located east of the village of Filia.
It is a castle-monastery built on the southwestern foothills of the Thisvetios mountain, at an altitude of 926 meters. It rises majestically in an enchanting position of outstanding natural beauty, in a forest of oaks, olives, pines and cypresses, protected from the winds, while the sun illuminates it with its life-giving light from sunrise to sunset.
The monastery of Agios Athanasios is about 2.5 kilometres from the village of Filia on an asphalt road and 201 kilometres from Athens. The journey to it from Athens takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. It is also about 35 km from Kalavrita and 107 km from Patras.
The monastery is dedicated to Patriarch Athanasios the Great of Alexandria and is celebrated every year on January 18, the day of the Saint's memory, and on May 2, the day of the recollection of his Holy Relics.
Since 1997, the monastery has been classified as a historical monument of the Byzantine/Mid-Byzantine period.
The monastery of Agios Athanasios is a contemporary of Agia Lavra and Agios Nikolaos Vlasia. It was founded as a male commune in the 10th century by a Peloponnesian monk from Mount Athos, who returned to his homeland. It has suffered arson and destruction by Ibrahim Pasha in 1826 and by the German conquerors in September 1943.
Architectural parts from buildings and temples of the ancient Klitora were used to rebuild the monastery, and are still visible today. A characteristic example is the 4 marble columns supporting the dome. They had been covered in the past with lime mortar. During the restoration work on the church, 2 of them have been uncovered. They consist of pieces of ancient columns welded together, two of which are ribbed. The monastery is a typical example of 18th century monastic architecture, with 19th century repairs, reflecting a timeless beauty, thanks to the elegance of the monument. The buildings are stone-built with elements belonging to the popular architecture of the period, which can be found throughout the Peloponnese. It is surrounded by a rectangular enclosure, part of which is the walling of the monastery buildings. Since 1992, on the initiative of the Filiot brotherhood, the maintenance and restoration of the monastery has begun, and water supply, electricity supply and reconstruction of various parts of the monastery have been carried out to make it habitable.
Today, the monk Fr. Joseph lives in the Monastery and it is open to visitors every day. The address of the monastery is: "Agios Athanasios Filion Kalavrita, p. 25007.