Only 31 kilometers south of Karpenisi, is located the monastery of Prousou. It is built at an imposing site, that was always difficult to be reached. This steep rocky area surrounded by the mountains Chelidona, Kaliakouda as well as the mountain range of Trimfistos.
The monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary, whose memory is celebrated on August the 23rd. The name of the monastery comes from the miraculous icon of Panagia Proussiotissa, which was painted in Prousa and it was believed to be a work of art of Evangelist Luke.
According to tradition the monastery was founded in the 9th century, when the emperor of the Byzantine Empire was Theophilus. That was done in an effort to take the icon away from Prousa and protect it, since Theophilus was an iconoclast and wanted to destroy it.
The fire of 1587 caused many damages at the monastery and in 1748 it became Stavropigiaki, which means that it belongs directly to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
During the War of Independence against the Turks, it was a refuge for Greek rebels Lampros Katsantonis, Georgios Karaiskakis, Markos Botsaris and many more. In the following decades, the monastery faced some financial difficulties, while on the 16th of August 1944, Nazis burnt down a large part of the monastery, destroying many relics, handscripts, books and items of everyday use. The holy picture of the Virgin Mary was saved because it was hidden in a crypt.
After the end of the Civil War a huge restoration project began and today is fully restored. The visitor can admire books that were saved from the fire, as well as equipment and belongings of soldiers from the War of Independence that were left there.