Elona Monastery
Just a 15-minute drive behind the mountain village of Kosmas in the Parnon Mountains lies the Elona Monastery. It is spectacularly situated on a rocky cliff at an altitude of 650 metres.
The monastery’s origins date back to the 13th century. It all began with the discovery of an icon illuminated by an oil lamp in a rock face. The icon depicts the ‘Panagia’ (Mother of God) type of Byzantine iconography. The icon is venerated in a chapel decorated with frescoes. However, following a theft, the original is now only displayed during the week of the Assumption (15 August).
Two hermits built the first monastery with two cells. The icon was believed to have the power to heal the sick. In the following centuries, the monastery flourished thanks to pilgrims and donors.
The monastery was plundered and burned down by the Ottomans in 1755. However, it was rebuilt soon afterwards and enjoyed a revival. The church dates from 1809 and the bell tower from 1831.
