The old monastery was built at the summit of Iliovounio at an altitude of 560 m, in Nea Kerasounta, a region between Preveza and Arta. The Holy Monastery of Prophet Elias in Iliovounia of Preveza became independent in the year 1720, whereas until then it was metochi (glebe land)of the Holy Monastery of Rogoi.
The Katholikon (major temple), a large three-aisled basilica (architectural style), was renovated in 1852 by its abbot named Dionysios,. The offer of the monastery to the enslaved Christians of the region was invaluable during the Ottoman domination. This explains what they suffered from the conquerors. It is mentioned that Mouchtar Pasha, the son of the tyrant of Epirus Ali, arrested unnecessarily and tortured the abbot of the monastery Dionysios I, a man of virtue and respect. Ali Pasha himself, after plundering the monastery, he brutalized the abbot Agapios (1780), imprisoned him in Ioannina and eventually sold him to Algeria.
During the Greek-Turkish war of 1897, the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elias of Iliovounia suffered serious disasters. The charismatic shot was given by the Occupation Forces (1943-44), which fired its buildings since it was a center of national resistance in the area.
In the days of the Metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza, Kyros Meletios, in the early 1990s, the monastery was transferred to a new building complex in the Municipal District of Nea Sinopi of Municipality of Zalongo next to Flampoura community area, with rare natural beauty. Equally beautiful is the landscape and the old monastery.
The new monastery (honored at Timios Prodromos (Honorable Forerunner)) was manned by 25 monks, under Archimandrite Efraim Toumpekis. One of the monastery's activities is the production of organic honey and organic olives.
The new monastery is located in Flampoura, 15 km north of Preveza, on the way to Arta. Every Monday and Thursday remains closed.
