The Holy Monastery of Panagia Eleoussa Kleisoura Messolonghi is located 20 km of the National Road Messolonghi – Agrinio. It is built on the north side of the gorge, the mountain Arakynthos or Zygos and dates back to Byzantine times. As it is carved, between the majestic rocks with wild majesty, it reminds one of the meteoric monasteries, as it stands, as a guard awake to the pain, agony and toil of the traveler that crosses the gorge.
It consists of the cells (next to the national road), the chapel of the Holy Cross and the Holy Temple of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodochos Pigi) “Panagia Eleousa”, also the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is located in a niche of the rock at an altitude of 150 m. In the middle of the path, which leads to the Holy Temple, is the majestic white Cross of 16m hight.
Being connected with historical figures and events of modern history, it has always been an important pilgrimage center and reference point of the religious life of the region.
The oral tradition states that in the old village of Chrysovergi, (at the place where today is the church of Agia Paraskevi, at a distance of 1.5 km NW of the Monastery), around the year 1700, at the time of the Resurrection, a member of Turkish army mocked the Christians, as a result, a Greek named Koumbouras offended of this, got involved with him and killed him. The other Christians got scared and left. Some of his fellow villagers lowered Koumbouras by rope to a nearby cave, located above the current monastery, so as to hide and save him from the wrath of the conqueror. He stayed there hidden for a year, was fed by the villagers, who provided him with the necessities through a basket. When the event was forgotten, Koumbouras returned with the help of ropes and then narrated that at the place where the temple is built today, he saw a vivid light every night. When the villagers, with many difficulties, reached the place indicated to them by dazzle, they discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary and next to the icon, a spring with water (holy water). At that point, the first small church was erected out of reverence.
According to tradition, Saint Cosmas of Aitolia (equal to the Apostles) stayed there during his tours. Here, he told the Christians, one day there will be a great pilgrimage.
In memory of the hospitality in the Monastery, Saint Cosmas of A e tolia (equal to the Apostles), the blessed Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania Theo c l e tos (†2007) pioneered the erection of a statue at the entrance of the Monastery.
After the first siege of Messolonghi (October 25 – December 31, 1822) by the Turks, in Agia Eleousa, Giannis Gounaris found refuge, who due to his shooting ability, served Omer Vryonis as a hunter, while his family was kept “hostage” by the pasha in Arta. His real name was Kostas Zoukas and he came from Ioannina. Due to his brave and good soul, he was informed that Omer Vryonis and Kioutachis were planning a surprise attack against the heroic Messolonghi on the night of December 24/25, 1822, when all the Christians were going be present in the churches for the Christmas Divine Liturgy. He chose to reveal the deceitful plans of the Turks to the Greeks, risking the fate of his family. With his aid, the inhabitants of Messolonghi were saved, but all the members of Gounari’s family were slaughtered by Omer Vryonis, while he, in order to escape his rage, found refuge in the small cave in Kleisoura, fed by shepherds and the local inhabitants. After the liberation of our country, he became a monk, with the unbearable pain of losing his family accompanying him constantly. When in 1837, King Otto with Amalia and their entourage were passing by the Monastery, the captains who accompanied Otto told him the events of the life of the monk of Kleisoura. Othon was touched by the tragic ending and wanted to reward him. Giannis Gounaris only asked Othon, was for the state to cede the area from the entrance to the exit of Kleisoura to the Monastery, as it was done. Gounaris left his last breath here (around 1840), while his remains were found in the foundations of the Temple during the renovation of 1997 and were placed at the base of his bust. The Confederation of Hunters of Greece honors this fighter, every year, on the third Sunday of June.
The romantic poet Constantinos Crystallis was inspired by Panagia Eleousa, when he composed the poem “The Monk of Kleisoura”.
In 1870, another monk lived in the Holy Monastery of Agia Eleoussi, Panaretos Palamas – from the well-known Mesolonghi family – an imposing, dynamic and active figure. He built the first guest house (1878) which hosted many famous people as well as ordinary or pilgrims. He also built the stairs leading to the Holy Temple and forbade grazing in the monastery grounds. At that time, King George I, passed by and venerated the icon of the Virgin Mary. The monk Panaretos also welcomed Charilaos Trikoupis to the monastery, who financed the construction of the cistern, where rainwater was collected and operated until 1990. Shortly after, the monk Panaretos Palamas continued his landscaping effort at the Holy Monastery of Agia Agathi (7 km east of Stamna), where he died on August 22, 1891 at the age of 57 and was buried in the yard.
In 1900, monk Alexios, from Ioannina, came to Agia Eleousa, who built a nave dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a small cell next to it, where he lived in. Below this church there was a reservoir where rainwater was collected. The chapel of the Holy Cross was erected in this area in 1997. All is left, are some marks on the rock, from that small cell of Alexios. The monk Alexios is considered, after Panaretos Palamas, the second founder of the Monastery.
From 1950 to 1953, the Hieromonk Agapios from Ano Kerasovo lived in the Holy Monastery.
In 1954, the Hieromonk Fr. Hierotheos Spanomitsos came to the Monastery from the village of Limeri in Evritania, who was the abbot of the Holy Monastery of Agia Eleousi for 64 years. Prior to his ordination, he was a customs officer. In 1956, Frederika, then Queen of Greece, visited the monastery, venerated the icon of Panayia Eleousa. She removed the rent freeze of sheep and goat grazing and ordered reforestation. In 1973 the entire region of Kleisoura, which belongs to the monastery, was declared of historical value and its natural beauty is protected by the authorities. Fr. Hierotheos took care of the planting of trees, the electricity and the water supply of the monastery, he led the installation of a call center in the Monastery for the service of pilgrims and passers-by, organized the archive of the Monastery and offered important spiritual and pastoral work. He passed on December 18, 2018, and was buried in the precinct of the Monastery next to the blessed Metropolitan Theocletos.
Since October 2019, the Metropolis of Aetolia and Acarnania assigned the administration of the Monastery to an Administrative Committee, which takes care of the landscaping of the facilities, but also of the worship life of the Monastery.
Have a blessed pilgrimage ! May t he most h oly Theotokos protect you through her intercessions!
The text is from the Holy Moni
