Saint Gerasimos is the protector of Kefalonia. He was descendant of the aristocratic family of Notarades and his great-grandfather was the last Byzantine Prime Minister. After studying in the most famous institutions of that time, Saint Gerasimos became a monk on Mount Athos and after that he traveled to Jerusalem where he stayed for twelve years. In 1555 AD he arrived in Kefalonia and spent five years in a cave in Lassi peninsula as a hermit. In 1560, he moved to the plateau of Omalos, where he repaired the chapel that already existed there and founded a monastery called New Jerusalem.
Today the monastery is better known as Agios Gerasimo’s monastery and is the most holy place in Kefalonia. The route from Argostoli to the monastery is a distance of 11 kilometers. To reach the monastery, you pass through the village of Rozata where you can stop and enjoy the view of Lixouri and Argostoli. Then you pass through the zone of Robola and the villages of Fragata and Valsamata. After the plain of the fourty wells, you reach the monastery. The monastery is built in a stunning location surrounded by vineyards.
The new church was built after the earthquake of 1953. Inside the church are kept the relics of the saint in a silver sarcophagus. He passed away on August 15, 1579, but the nominal celebration is celebrated on August 16th. He is also celebrated on 20 October because when his tomb was opened in October 1851, his relic was intact. He was buried again and the tomb was opened for the second time on August 20, 1852, but his relic was still intact. Inside the old church, there is the entrance to the hermitage of the saint. It has access through a medium-sized opening, but paradoxically everyone can pass regardless of the size. It is also noteworthy that although visitors need to kneel as long as they are in the hermitage, there is the theory that they are not sullied by the muddy floor.
Because of the saint's popularity, this church is a universal place of worship and many people gather each year to commemorate the saint and celebrate his memory. His relic is open to the public five times a year. On August 16 and October 20 are taken place two litanies to move the relic of the saint to the old plane tree planted by the saint himself, which is located near the church.
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