Worth seeing...

On the central square it is worthy for visitors to observe the nice mosaic floor and the artwork placed there. Going up to the green hill, among the old olives, there are dregs of the famous Venetian olive grove. The visitor pass by the residents` buildings which are simple and unadorned but impresive and scenic with gardens full of lemon and orange trees. There are also colourful gardens with roses, lilacs, woodbines, and pansies enjoying the essence of the flowers and the exciting view of the Amvrakikos gulf.

The island was firstly inhabited by monks who built the church of Virgin Mary on a remnant of the ancient monastery of the 7th AD century. Then they started coming fishermen totaled about 600 people and today there are 150 residents. The small church of the Nativity of the Virgin is located in the hill overlooking the village. By saved, written accounts we learn that the monastery was built before 1193, while the years of the Latin and early Ottoman empire (15th and 16th century) had many monks and had great prosperity. Later, however, for various reasons fell into decline until the end of last century that was abandoned from the monks and deserted. However, the church and the chapel of St. Onoufrios a few meters east of the church remained until today as witnesses of the old glory.

The chapel of St. Onoufrios

The chapel of St. Onoufrios is a very small domed basilica of which the gables on the east and west sides exalted than the mansard, hawksbill roof for aesthetic reasons. It is honored in the memory of the ascetic monk Onoufrios which was there until his death (in 1780) and buried inside the chapel. In the time of construction of the chapel we do not know if Saint Onoufrios established it himself or if it's an older building, which because it was connected with the life of St. Onoufrios got its name. Likely is the second version without excluding the Byzantine origin. On the walls were used irregular stones and bricks with only an exterior toothed strip on cornices of the pediments. The pillar-grounded shed is of modern construction. Inside the church is packed from wall-arts to reveal the wounds not of time but rather than the malignancy of some modern Greeks who carved names and dates on the icons, introducing themselves with this way of vandalism. The wall-arts bear the usual order in areas during the period of Ottoman ruled, beneath are depicted the whole saints, in the middle “stitharia” of saints and in the upper area scenes from the church calendar. We don’t know the construction time of these wall-arts, but probably were made simultaneously with the narration of the central church of the Virgin, ie the 17th century, which suggests that the chapel predates of St. Onoufrios. The chapel of St. Onoufrios was inextricably linked with the life and history of the nearby old Byzantine monument and therefore seen as an integral member of the monument. Concluding the presentation of the church of Virgin of Koronisia would say that this monument may not have the commanding presence of other Byzantine monuments, but retains, despite the changes that have occurred both in the same building as in the surrounded area – its old suggestibility and ritualistic atmosphere.

In the church there is a well, dug in the rock by a monk named Onoufrios, from which is watered the island even today (of 18th century). That monk (according to the legend) was let as a joke, by the other monks in an islet that were gathering timber and Onoufrios after his pray threw his robe in the sea and traveled on it to the island. This monk with his many well-made for the island was honored as Saint, and a church was built that celebrates on 12th of June and is the only protector of the island.