Bessarion died on 13 September 1540 and was buried in the village of Agios Vissarion, near Trikala in Thessaly. His sainthood was recognized early on, as he cured people suffering from the plague, dysentery, smallpox, and scarlet fever. He was able to help in case of stormy seas and locust infestations, while he also provided assistance whenever animals were sick. His fame was so great that when Filippiada suffered from the plague in 1816-1817, the Ottoman authorities and the Christian clergy requested that the saint’s head be sent to them from Trikala.