At a distance of 3 km from the village of Nymphasia, near Vytina and in a beautiful mountainous natural environment at an altitude of 840 m, is the old monastery of Kernitsa.
The Monastery is 47 km from Tripoli and 7 km from Vytina.
The monastery was built in the 14th century (1386), and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin. Its position between the mountains of Argyrokastro and Mount Thaumasios offers it natural fortification. The current monastery is built on the site of the old monastery.
Its history is inextricably linked with the history of the region, as the monastery played an important role in the Revolution of 1821. During the years of the Turkish rule, it was a refuge for the persecuted, while tradition says that it also operated a secret school, something that is not historically proven. Constantis Kolokotronis sent his family to this monastery to protect them from the Turks. In 1770, according to Orlovic, the Monastery was set on fire by the Albanians. In 1825 it was looted and set on fire by Ibrahim's army and 7 monks were killed. In 1826 Ibrahim set fire to the monastery again. Those monks who were rescued returned after two years and began to rebuild the Monastery.
In 1940 the Monastery was converted into a women's monastery and under this regime it still operates today. On 23-6-1943 the abbot of the Kleopas Stathopoulos Monastery was arrested by the Germans and executed.
Below the Monastery there is an impressive stone bridge, the bridge of Kernitsa, which was built between 1901 and 1905.
In the upper part of the Monastery is the chapel of the Taxiarches, with the masterpiece wood-carved iconostasis, which is used as a confessional.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou
