The word “Typikon” (in greek τυπικόν plural τυπικα typika), in orthodox churches and Christian churches, is used to indicate the overall habits and rules of a monastery made by the founder that every monk must follow during daily activities.
Indeed, for many centuries, Italian-greek monasteries haven’t been following the rules of the Bishop of Rome because of their contact with the East and during that time they also introduced new liturgical customs in contrast with the Church of Rome.
Western monks complied with Benedictine Rule instead Eastern monks have never really had a Rule shared by all: every monastery had its own typikon.
It’s thanks to the “Bios” (the life), the saint Italian-greek monks’ biographies and typika that we know a few but fundamental pieces of information about these figures, characterised by an eastern mysticism and western religiousness and that were the founders of the most ancient and famous monasteries of southern Italy.
The 115 manuscript, the Typikon of the Monastery of “Santissimo Salvatore”, today kept in the Local Library of Messina, is extremely useful to understand more about eastern monks’ lifestyles in Sicily.