Neophytus II () was bishop of
Stagoi and then
metropolitan bishop
In Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), is held by the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a Metropolis (reli ...
of
Larissa
Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...
in 1550–68.
He was a nephew of
Bessarion II,
Metropolitan of Larissa in 1526/7–40. His parents were wealthy, but became monks, and he followed in their footsteps, rising to become
Bishop of Stagoi. He served there until June 1550, when he became Metropolitan of Larissa after the resignation of his predecessor (and successor of Bessarion), who was also named Neophytus; this led earlier scholars to confuse the two men and regard them as the same person.
Neophytus served as Metropolitan of Larissa (although based in
Trikala
Trikala () is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala (regional unit), Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios (Thessaly), Pineios. According to the Greek Natio ...
) until 1569, and his tenure was regarded as equally successful to that of his uncle, who was known for his charitable work. Neophytus also built a new—and still surviving—''
katholikon
A ''katholikon'' or catholicon () or ''sobor'' () refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church:
* The cathedral of a diocese.
* The major Church (building), church building (temple) of a monastery corresponding to a conventual ...
'' for the
Dousikou Monastery, originally built by his uncle, becoming thus its second ''
ktetor
''Ktetor'' () or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ; ), meaning 'founder', is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox church or monastery, for the addition of icons ...
''. He was also responsible for the construction of cells for its monks and for the decoration of the ''katholikon'' with
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es in 1557.
References
{{authority control
16th-century deaths
Bishops of Larissa
16th-century Greek clergy
16th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops
Founders of Christian monasteries
People from Trikala (regional unit)
Ottoman Thessaly