Saint Gerasimos church at Aroni
Akrotiri Cape by Chania hosts the largest (in density) number of temples than every other part of Chania. Many of these temples are very well known to visitors due to their history and architecture. There are of course several that are less known or completely unknown, however they might carry a special story sometimes. One of the more obscure temples of Akrotiri is that of Saint Gerasimos at Aroni. Saint Gerasimos is a new church but is built on the site of an older church of St. Gerasimos. The old church was probably destroyed during the several battles in the island of Crete.
In fact in all the north site of Chania we meet almost all churched dedicated to Saint Gerasimos, while it is almost absent from the rest of the island. The reason is that young Saint Gerasimos spent two years of his life in a cave south of Chania, at the village Modi, long before leaving for Kefalonia (he is the saint patron of Kefalonia). Thus this is another temple of the saint who honored the area with his presence. The present church stands leaning on a beautiful oak tree near the last houses of the village Aroni, while near the temple we meet an old threshing floor. The interior of this austere temple is dominated by icons of St. Gerasimos, while the exterior hosts numerous benches.
