The small, mountainous village of Agios Sostis is located on the borders of the Messenia, Ilias and Arcadia prefectures, perched at an altitude of 850 metres. The history of Agios Sostis is intertwined with the historical area of Gorena, which archaeologists claim is the ancient city of Lykoa, which is located on the northwestern side of Mount Lykaian.
At a distance of 1.5 kilometres from the village, visitors can see the church of Ai-Yiannis, which is built on a plateau full of plane trees. In the place where the church stands today, there was once a Byzantine monastery, which the Franks destroyed in 1300, and then fell into ruins. Following John Konstantopoulos’ (who came from Agios Sostis) vision, excavations began bringing 60 cells, a golden tong, a chalice and a cross to light. The neighbouring villages contributed to the construction of the present church, and every year, on August 29th, a festival with many people coming from the surrounding villages is held.
In the centre of the village, visitors can see the unfinished Byzantine-style church of the Holy Trinity. The church’s construction began with money sent by immigrants from America, but its funding was interrupted after the American crisis of 1929. A short distance from the church, a marble column dedicated to the four Messenians who perished in the wreck of the Titanic in 1912 stands out. Finally, next to Agios Sostis is the village of Ambeliona, the birthplace of the late director Theodoros Angelopoulos.
