A Monk Lived For 82 Years Without Seeing A Single Woman In His Entire Life.
This article was published in an Athens newspaper on October 29th, 1938.
Mihailo Toloto was born in 1856. Shortly after his mother’s death (after giving birth), a few men carried him up to a monastery on Mount Athos (a mountain located on a peninsula in northeastern Greece). He grew up in the monastery and spent his whole life on the peninsula until his death.
In 1046, Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomachos enacted a law, which prohibited women from entering the region so that the monks could live in complete celibacy without temptation. Although Mount Athos is part of the European Union, the monastery has special jurisdiction over the region and has the authority to decide who can and cannot enter.
Today, over 2,000 monks reside on Mount Athos, spending their days cataloging and restoring ancient manuscripts, artworks, and religious artifacts. Women are still prohibited from entering as well as female animals. The only exception are cats because of their ability to hunt rodents
