In 1659, the Exarchate of Metsovo was founded and was supervised by the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Exarchates were ecclesiastical districts subject directly to the Ecumenical Patriarch and not to the Metropolises’ system. The Patriarch would pass the management of the exarchates to citizens, along with the right to collect the ecclesiastical contributions and the duty to provide Christians with spiritual leadership. The division into patriarchal exarchates started in the 14th century during the Byzantine rule, further developed during the Ottoman rule and abolished in the 19th century.
There are no patriarchal documents to confirm the year when the Exarchate of Metsovo was founded. The first relevant text that mentions the Exarchate of Metsovo dates back to 1808. It is therefore possible that the Exarchate may have been founded before 1659.
