Monastery of Varlaam viewed from the Monastery of the Great Meteoron in Meteora. Founded in the mid-14th century by the hermit monk Varlaam and later rebuilt in 1517 by the wealthy brothers Nektarios and Theophanis, the monastery was reachable for centuries only by wooden ladders or a rope net hauled up by a hand-turned windlass. Today, a modern bridge and carved stone steps allow visitors to cross the chasm and explore its richly decorated 16th-century chapel and historic oak wine barrel.