A place that protects... I consider it Virgin Mary of Sepetou, perhaps the most moving monastery around Andritsaina and one of the most important religious monuments of the area.
Hidden on a slope on the road from Andritsaina to Krestena, the Sepetou Monastery It seems to be watching from above the place it has protected for centuries. When you get closer, you feel as if the rock and the monastery have become one; as if nature has deliberately preserved it to withstand time. A real place that combines faith, history and the landscape of Lousios in a unique way.
History written with endurance
Panagia Sepetou appears as early as the 12th century, but it was in the 15th–16th century that it took on its form and spiritual power which it maintains to this day. During the difficult years, the monastery became a refuge for those seeking salvation: persecuted families, fighters, and even the wounded who needed treatment from people with knowledge and faith.
Something you don’t often hear: the monastery had secret food storage and escape areas — a silent organization that protected the surrounding villages. This aspect of it connects it deeply to the history and communities of mountainous Elis.
And as if all this weren't enough... the monastery even went through fire.
On August 23, 1915, a fire destroyed much of the church and valuable relics.
And yet, in just two years it was rebuilt.
Because faith here — it doesn't burn.
Tradition says that a shepherd found the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a hollow in the rock — and it was there that it was decided to build the monastery.
OR Panagia Sepetou chose her home.
The name "Sepetou" has two beautiful explanations:
✨ From the old word I will die. → cover, protect
✨ From Slavic Sopot → waterfall, due to the waters and small waterfalls of the Tritonas River
Both versions… fit her character perfectly.
Architectural surprise
The monastery is spread over five levels, built on and inside the rock — a rare example of monastic architecture in the Peloponnese and unique among the monasteries of Andritsaina.
And one more secret I love to tell:
OR Sepetou Monastery It has a tower, which today operates as a guesthouse for those seeking silence and tranquility.
The view from up there is simply unforgettable.
It is an active monastery, with monks who keep prayer and tradition bright.
But above all, Panagia Sepetou remains what it always was:
Refuge.
Protection.
Hug.
And it is truly our honor that through this site we can show you a place that knows more than just history...
He's still writing it.
Distance from Andritsaina: 15 km.
