The refectory (or dining hall) is located south of the cathedral. The two buildings are connected by a gallery, as the architectural plan allows for easy access from one point to another, always an important consideration in the everyday life of a monastery. The gallery houses the well-known fresco of the Apocalypse, which is described in detail later. The wide rectangular space immediately inside the entrance of the refectory dates to its Byzantine phase, while the rectangular extension that ends in the niche reserved for the Abbot is a 16th-century addition. The frescoes were made in different phases by two painters, and consist of themes relating to monastic life and the final judgement, scenes from the lives of saints, and portrayals of distinguished holy monks looking down into the space of the dining monks. The refectory of Dionysiou monastery is a place full of meaning, which is explored in detail in a different part of the tour.
