The Monastery Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia (Greek: Μονή Αγίου Γερασίμου Κεφαλονιάς) is located at the foot of Mount Ainos, built on top of an old monastery from the year 1200 (era of the Crusades), near the village of Fragata.
The monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and has been named by the residents of the village of Valsamata as “New Jerusalem”. The monastery and its surroundings were granted by the Priest George Valsamos to Saint Gerasimos, who settled there in 1560.[1][2] After living “in caves and the caves of the earth” (Heb. 1a’ 38), he died on August 15, 1579.
Saint Gerasimos is the patron saint of Kefalonia and his relic is kept in the monastery, in a silver urn. Saint Gerasimos was a monk from Trikala in Corinth and founded the monastery in the 16th century, renovating an older one, which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Saint Gerasimos died in 1579 and was canonized in 1622.
In the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos there is also his hermitage, which can be visited nowadays. Also, in the Monastery, the shroud of the Saint is kept.
