OMALI PORT

At the jetty a variety of restaurants, taverns, drinking bars, connected to each other, octopuses laid and sun-burnt seem as they are dancing the Greek dance called kalamatianos call the visitor to taste a mellow mood with ouzo and day or night dreaming. The sea close to this with its interlacing waves rocks fishing, caiques and boats.

THE CHURCH OF ELEISTRIA

In Eleistria's southern part, in the cellar is the crypt where sculptures were found, which purifies both natives and foreign votaries of Christianism.

The Church of the Patron Saint of Eleistria (i.e. The Merciful holy Virgin) was erected in the southern historical and rocky slope between the sea's immensity and the Castle. It was erected within three years time as a psalm rising in the sky the generous fruits of the faith of the people of Koroni.

Skilled artisans from Karpathos builtwith well-hewn stones the modern, triune church which was inaugurated on December 26, 1990.

The commemoration feasts are: Zoodochos Pigi (i.e. life-giving source), each Xolambri Friday of theAnnunciation, on March 25, the day of Stavros on September 14 as well as on January 21-22 where the celebration of Evresis (i.e. Finding) takes place.

Mother Eleistria, this book I dedicate to you. Your grace is big, holy Virgin, and in life or death I'll always be proud of You. Are you the one that made this place my place?

THE FINDING OF THE HOLY ICON

At night, close to the Resalto location, something like a shimmering light was visible. The people of Koroni believed that this was the holy Light because the heroes of Resalto had purified the place.

Maria Stathaki for fifteen years was dreaming the Holy Virgin admonishing her to tell her fellow-villagers that its icon, was buried for years into the castle's rocks. The people of Koroni as soon as they knew it grubbed the place with zest but found nothing.

In 1896, Magdalini Mourgou, a twelve-year old girl, saw a silhouette talking to her.

The little girl followed as if with her eyes closed. Then she saw the Holy Virgin with Her palms spread pointing the specific place. The rock after it was dynamited, revealed three statuettes, the Christ Crucified, the Virgin Mary holding the Holy Infant and another one that it is attributed to the Luke, the Evangelist (21/1/1897).

THE MONASTERY

After the establishment, with reverence and devoutness, of the monastic village in 1918, conquests and confrontations follow.

As soon the heavy black door is pushed to open, we enter the Holy Monastery's courtyard, which is consecrated to John the Baptist. On the right we see the Icon of the Christening and of the Fair Forerunner.
On the left another icon symbolizes the sacrifice of a Monk that abstained from mundanely.

In the indoor yard and to the left, the church of the Fair Forerunner and adjacent to it the monks' graves. Up above in the parapets there are the cells and the hospices. The cave, which Theodoulos, the anchoret and founder of the Monastery has shaped and lived in, is vertically chiseled. Into the cell all the hermit's utensils and necessary utilities are kept intact. A little farther and vis-a-vis to the cave, the school is also sculpted into the wall as if a catacomb.

Holy icons, books, hagiographies and a skeleton, which by means of an epigraph speaks ironically for the mortals' vanity.

Having left the monastery behind us, to the right and straight ahead a piney road brings us to the Castle's southern parapets where shame and brave young lads fought and wrote the atrocious and heroic images of the revolution. On 21/7/1821 the Turks precipitated from this place onto the rocks the bodies of Gr. Bistis, the Bishop and his escorts. And it's the very same location wherefrom, three years later, the Greeks attempted their renown assault, known as Resalto (i.e. the Rush).

THE CASTLE ENTRANCE AND LIVADIA

The castle's reception is the grand and unique gate. Huge well-hewn stones end in a gothic vault, crowned at its top by a window arch and rooms - observation posts for the guard.

Upon entering the central pavement, straight vis-a-vis is the Church of Ag. Charalambos and on the right is the road for the monastery. A little before, and on the left is the cobbled road bordered by piles of stones, victims of the history's turns, penetrating into the castle's adyta. To the right, one can access with difficulty the Turkish baths, which are badly preserved. At the end of the decline there is a wide opening, an old secret passing to the castle. Though this passage, the finger-like protrusion of Livadia seems like a ship's head drowned into the eternal illumination.

The exultation however soon vanishes by the awe if you look at the perched ruins of the grand bitzichane, which was blown by the Nazis on the day of their retreat in 1944.

THE HISTORY OF THE CASTLE

The fort is drafted by the Byzantines in the tenth century A.D. Upon its ruins the Venetians built their imposing Castle (1250-1270).

The castle is the shield and the watchtower of the Messinian gulf an utmost creation of the Venetian art and ethics. A glorious crown of the old thalassocrat power that crowns and adorns the gulf. A veteran now, it's keeping for centuries now its weather's eye open upon the location that loved be with.

In the Castle there are many spots where there are vaulted cisterns, built with well-hewn megaliths, which provided water to those who were under blockade.

The castle's storerooms, known as Bastamia, are involved in legends since no one ever managed to reach their unbeaten depths. At the Southeastern part of the Castle the massive fortification is erected, which is called Big Ntapia. Upon its bulwarks, between the sea and the sky, Panayiotis Lachanas, the anchorite, known with pen name P. Glyfos, composed and psalmed with wit and faith.

NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

Olive groves and vineyards have given place to the holiday infrastructure. Koroni, being a secluded place, protected and preserved its traditional character having retained intact its magnificence and advantages. Today is in right track of tourist development.

Here, the stranger is seduced and enchanted, and even before his departure from Koroni is nostalgic to return.

UNBOUNDED BLUE

Koroni's fabulous small and large beaches await for you to spend endless hours of unconcern and fun since a wide variety of options are available for your leisure. Wind surfing, sailing, beach volley, jet skiing, swimming fishing are some of the activities which will offer you unprecedented moments of pleasure and relaxation.

We do not just wish the visitor "have a nice holiday" since we consider this for granted. Our wish is: "See you again next year!"

Koroni, the golden keys of success are in your hands. We have discussed a lot about the past and now the future is ahead of us.

Good luck to you...