Asceticism in the lousios valley

The imposing scenery and the inaccessible, isolated Lousios gorge in Arcacia was perfect for the early ascetic monks and hermits who arrived here to live a frugal and holy life. Years later some of them went on to build the Timios Prodromos, Philospher’s and Kalamiou Monasteries.

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It is difficult not to be charmed by the Lousios River with its dense vegetation, famous gorge and limestone cliffs. Although it only flows for a short 23 km before merging with the Alfeios near Karytaina, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful rivers in the Peloponnese. It is now popular for hiking, rafting and kayaking, but looking back in time you could say it attracted a different crowd…

The imposing scenery and the inaccessible, isolated gorge was perfect for the early ascetic monks and hermits who arrived here to live a frugal and holy life. They found the isolation and safety they were seeking here, and built terraces on the steep slopes of the canyon, cleared pieces of land and cultivated them. Later they created large communes. In fact researchers tell us that there were more than 50 hermitages in the Lousios valley, mostly in the caves in the steep cliffs. 

Today the remains of about half of these have been identified, but of course most are by now little more than a door and piles of stones. Some of the better known are Agios Georgios in Gortys, Metamorfosi, Agios Eleftherios, the hermitage of Taxiarches, the cave of Keli Kalogria, the hermitage of Neophytos, the cave of Kastoria. And also, the Great Hermitage, the Martini cave, the Hidden Hermitage, the Monopori cave and the hermitage of Agios Tryphonos.

The monks who began with such a humble lifestyle then went on to build the Timios Prodromos, Philospher’s and Kalamiou Monasteries.

Text: Antonios G. Dikaios

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