The old Voulkano monastery is located on top of Mt. Ithome, the medieval Voulkano or Vourkano, and is one of the most important ecclesiastic monuments of the post-Byzantine period in Messenia, in terms of architecture and painting quality. The monastery looms over the fertile plain where ancient Messene is located. The katholikon (main church), dedicated to the Assumption of Mary (Koimisi Theotokou), was a two-aisle church with a semicircular altar, an orthogonal narthex and a bipartite barrel-vaulted chapel along its north side, dedicated to Timios Prodromos.

It is not clear whether the original building included the two aisles, with the prothesis, the chapel and the narthex being later additions. The differences in the masonry indicate that such a hypothesis is feasible. The main temple is covered by a tiled gable roof that was the result of modifications, which have altered the monument’s architecture. The katholikon was built with extensive re-use of ancient building material. Both the church’s and the chapel’s interior are decorated throughout with wall paintings by the brothers Demetrios and Georgios Moschos, dated by the founding inscription above the entrance to 1608.