The refectory, the place that is usually located near the cathedral in every monastery, is situated directly behind the old cathedral, opposite to its entrance. There the fraternity gathers twice a day for the common meal between the services. The figures in the frescoes, which date to 1496/7, surround the monks, and connect the monastics of the past with those of the present. The frescoes in the Xenofontos Monastery refrectory are the oldest preserved refectory decoration on Mount Athos.
