The Antiquities Ephorates of Larissa and Trikala cooperate in the temporary exhibition of the Diachronic Museum of Larissa entitled "Hope and Faith. Church and Art in Thessaly in the 16th century ", which will last from 2 December 2018 to 28 February 2019. The exhibition presents a great era of post-Byzantine art and attempts to interpret the great artistic flourishing of the 16th century when, under Ottoman domination, dozens of churches and monasteries were built and decorated, leaving a significant footprint in art.

Under of the undeniable artistic rebirth, there are the beginnings of the economic rise of Hellenism and the enlightened hierarchs who, by using the privileges provided by the Ottoman administration, raised the prestige of the local Church, interpreting the messages coming from the Patriarchate, and created the conditions for the reunification of the Orthodox population around it. With their rich work, many of them were exalted as saints in the conscience of the faithful and became the Hope of the Nation.

The exhibition artifacts belong to the Metropolises of Larissa and Tyrnavos, Trikkis and Stagon, Stagon and Meteoron, Demetrias, Elassonos, Thessaliotidos and Fanariofersalon, as well as the holy monasteries of Meteora (Megalo Meteoro, Varlaam and Agios Stefanos), Dousikou, Koronas, Olympiotissas, Agios Panteleimonas of Agia and Flamourion.

The exhibition is dedicated to Professor Dimitris Sofianos, who, as Director of the Medieval Archives of the Academy of Athens, recorded and published hundreds of manuscripts of the monasteries of Meteora and the Monastery of Dusikos, thus presenting the history and the spiritual heritage of the Thessaly monasteries.