The chapels of Kosmas
The visitors that traverse the paths of the area every year, on the slopes of Parnon, and discover the churches and chapels of Kosmas truly remain speechless. These are tens of small but historical chapels, each hiding many secrets and incidents from the historic past of Kosmas within it. Each one has its own history and all of them together are connected with the history and religious tradition of the area. The chapels of Kosmas are real diamonds, as they wait "nested" in the green mountains for their visitors to discover them and gain strength of the soul and tranquility from them.
Prophet Elijah
At the peak of the hill just above the village, there is the small church of the Prophet Elijah, which celebrates on July 20th. We do not know exactly when it was built, but it is not less than 150 years old. In the surrounding area, from time to time various ancient objects have been found, such as bronze statuettes, spears, small clay vases, and other items.
Saint George the Trophy-Bearer
Both the holy icons inside it and the references to holy tradition, as it was established in the 11th century, declare that this church should bear the name of Saint Nicholas of Myra, since to the right of the icon of the Virgin, the icon of Saint Nicholas was painted, and not the icon of Saint George, as should have happened. The church of Saint George the Trophy-bearer is hidden within the stream of Agios Georgios and was built in 1834. Previously, there was a small village there around 1850, with 21 houses and 142 inhabitants. The leeward location of the site and the abundant water made it suitable for the cultivation of vegetables and fruit trees. The surrounding nature ensured food for their flocks of sheep and goats. Now the houses have been torn down and lost in the vegetation. Only the church remains as an indisputable witness to that time.
Saint John the Baptist
Among the trees and many turns, the visitor reaches the church of Saint John the Baptist. The stream that joins the Kakorema stream farther on passes just below, and together they lead the visitor on a dreamlike route towards the gorge of Vasileisi.
Saint John the Evangelist
The church of Saint John the Evangelist is austere on the inside and outside, just as people should be before God. Whoever crosses the threshold of this church will feel that his logic steps aside in order for it to reach his soul. In this place, around the church, there were approximately 70 houses inhabited by an equal number of families. The journey from Pigadi to Kosmas was very frequent, an almost daily occurrence, according to work and the season. Pigadi of Kosmas flourished from 1880 to 1920 and the church was built in 1890.
Saint Dimitrios
The small church of Saint Dimitrios was built in 1975 on the foundation of an older church and belongs administratively to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary of Elona.
Saint Nicholas
The chapel of Saint Nicholas was built in 1965 on the ruins of an older church with the same name.
Saint Marina
The souls of the people of Kosmas rest in peace in the chapel of Saint Marina. The surrounding area inspires contemplation.
The Monks' Refuge of Kosmas
The ravines of Parnon became refuges for bandits and an escape for the persecuted inhabitants of Kynouria during the years of the struggle for independence from the Ottoman yoke. Here, the voices of the noncombatant population that ran to escape in the fortified caves echoed during the period of Ibrahim Pasha's expedition. "The people fled like birds to inaccessible caves, high peaks, and monasteries," Fotakos writes of those unfortunate days. In Petros Sarandakis' book Arcadia: its Acropolises, Castles and Towers, among the forts of the struggle in Kynouria he also mentions the monks' refuge of Kosmas on the slopes of Parnon. The people of Kosmas may have called the fortified cave with walls 4 meters and 7 meters long a monks' refuge, but the two rows of battlements show that they were not necessary for people that renounced this world in order to dedicate themselves to God. They testify that they were necessary to fighters that were protecting themselves and their families from the attacks of the conquerors.