Sometimes in a man’s life, there are some experiences so touching and overwhelming that take you spontaneously to communicate and share them.

Since the time of my high school, they had told me about the existence of a small monastic independent republic in Greece, occupied by about 15 hundred orthodox monks, not allowed to women: Mont ATHOS.

Even the rather generic description given to me of the Agion Oros had generated in me a deep interest in those fantastic and anachronistic places where life is regulated according to the Julius Calendar and the time according to the Bizantine schedule, that is midnight is considered when the sun goes down.

But, unfortunately, due to the lacking of adequate information which would have permitted me to reach the only theocratic State in the world, residence of the orthodox monachism, I couldn’t do but dream and navigate with my imagination among those monasteries and hermitages which contained immense artistic and cultural wealth.

Only recently, having solved many organization difficulties, I was fortunate to get to that “Holy” mountain so to appreciate personally its special spiritual, artistic, natural and cultural beauties.

All is like I had imagined.

Suddenly I found myself like transferred into an unreal world, on an unknown planet where everything had a different meaning: aromas, words, colours, gestures.

Everything surrounding me invited me to reflect on the real sense of life.

A fantastic sense of quietness and calm, a suggestive silence, a dreamland in the middle of an incredible panorama.

Only the sweet and delicate sound of the old bells interrupted the calm balance, but only to separate the times and hours for prayer and those for work and other activities.

Experience at Athos is one that marks forever, attracts and sometimes throws into confusion.

Far from everyday chaotic realities we can finally manage to be ourselves and discover our inner selves.

Unfortunately, differently from the usual itineraries, more or less advertised by the different agencies, the visit to Athos becomes a special tour also for the difficulties met in organising it and in the selection procedures to face.

All these motivations have suggested to me and to other friends the constitution of an unique Association of this kind, which we called “Together For The Athos”, and the creation of a specific Internet Site.

The latter includes , among other things, special survey, “A Voice From Athos” periodically fed by special spiritual stories coming from those sacred places.

Whoever wishes to get in touch with this world, wanting to have more information, to receive news, or just for a general interest, or wishes to partake in the Association, may contact us via e-mail to the address associazione@insiemeperathos.org or writing to the legal centre of our Association in Viale Carso 67, interno 5.

With brotherly affection

Giuseppe Sergio BALSAMA’