The Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Philanthropinoi is one of the most important monuments on the island within Pamvotis Lake, laying at its west side. It is composed by the catholikon, a ruined refectory and a later two-storey cells section.
The initial catholikon must be dated back to the Byzantine era, in specific before the year 1291/92, when a restoration by Michael Philanthropinos took place, according to a dedicatory inscription above the western entrance. A partial reconstruction (and wall painting) took place in the first half of the 16th century, probably in 1531-32 and again in 1542 up to the integration of the wall paintings in 1560.
The monastery became an important cultural center in the area, with a great library and school.
Today, just a few traces of the byzantine phase of the monument are visible. The form of the catholikon is mainly a result of the 16th century interventions, while its wall paintings can be divided in three phases, beginnign from 1531-32. The high quality frescoes in Philanthropinon Monstery are cosidered a typical sample of the so-called “Shcool of Northwestern Greece”, an important artistic movement of the 16th century.