Saint Gerasimos monastery, named after the wonder-maker and protector of Kefalonia, is the most well-known monastery on the island. Gerasimos of Kefalonia was born in 1506 and comes from an aristocratic Byzantine family. He is known for very specific ascetic life, but also by the fact that he foretold his own death. He became a monk on Mount Athos and was appointed priest in Jerusalem, where he served for 12 years in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. He abandoned Jerusalem continue to lead as a anchorite on the island of Crete and Zakynthos.
At 49, he arrives at Kefalonia and his life continues in the same style, this time in a cave near Argostoli, and then moves to the mountainous region of Valsamati, where he founded the monastery in 1559. He died 20 years later.
Gerasimos is known as the healer of people possessed by demons. In the church within the monastery lay his undamaged Holy Relics. Days of this saint is celebrated on August 15 and October 20, when a large number of pilgrims visit the monastery. During these days, the monastery also provides special halls, where for 40 days they can fast and pray in order to free themselves from the demon.
The monastery is about 13km from Argostoli and Sami. The road is not complicated. Considering that Kefalonia is a mountainous island, and you have to reach the monastery using curvy and narrow road.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.