Among the imposing and majestic mountain peaks of Olonos, in the spacious and rugged gorge formed by the slopes of Erymanthos, next to its fir-clad slope, Agrabela are built, at an altitude of 820 m. and, a little higher, Platanitsa, at an altitude of 940 m., where the first springs of the Erymanthos River are located.
These two settlements, together, form the community of Agrabela, which belongs to the municipality of Kalavrita and is 60 km far from it, 100 km from Patras and 235 km from Athens, via Tripoli. The land area of the two villages is 25,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are agricultural land, 6,400 acres are pastureland and the rest is forest land overgrown with fir trees, holly, cedars, agrabelas and plane trees.
The history of these two settlements goes back centuries. It has not been ascertained when they were founded. It is believed, according to the words of the metropolitan of Ilia, Anthony, that the settlement of Poretsos was founded in the 14th century. Local tradition, however, states that the village was founded in the 10th century by Greeks who came with their flocks from the south-southwestern coast of the Peloponnese, forced by pirates.
The Chronicle of Moraeus, verses 5686 - 5687 states: "In the mountains and in the high mountains, they have taken the prefecture as they want to do". However, the various findings from time to time (figurines, coins, etc.) testify that this area had been inhabited much earlier, without, of course, knowing exactly when.
In antiquity this area belonged to Azania and was part of the city-state of ancient Psofis. In the Frankish period it belonged to the Principality of Achaea and the Villardouins. In the Venetian period it belonged to the (territorio) administrative district of Gastouni. During the Ottoman period it belonged to the Gastouni caza and the Lalai Agades. The villages of Poretso and Germotsani are also mentioned in the great census 'Grimani', which was carried out by the Venetians in 1700 during their stay in the Peloponnese.
In 1912, Poretso became a homonymous community, which included the settlement of Germotsani, both of which were municipal districts of the Municipality of Lampeia. Later it was renamed to the community of Agrabela. In 1998, it was incorporated into the Municipality of Aroania, by the Kapodistria Law and in 2010 into the Municipality of Kalavrita, by the Kallikrates Law.
During the difficult years of slavery, it was the refuge of the thieves, whose presence reaped the distant hope of our race for freedom, as described in the verses below: "The plains are thirsty for water and the mountains for snow, the thirst that Olonus has for their old thieves. The valleys spit out a writing and send it to the Reader. Did you see no thieves anywhere, Captain Argyris? He was here that May, and all Alonar and the 15th of August of the Virgin Mary, passing the hill and the ridge of Poretsos."
During the Liberation Struggle of the nation in 1821, both these villages had their own, separate participation in the struggle. In the registers of fighters of the National Library, Yannis Poretsanos, Anagnostis Triantafylopoulos, from Poretsos, and Lagos Athanasios, Bramos Panagos and Balkamos Panagiotis from Germotsani, who participated in the battles of Pournarokastro, Lala, Poussi, Levidi, the siege of Patras and elsewhere, are mentioned among others.
In Agrabela there are important Religious and Natural Historical monuments.
In Agrabela, between the two villages, dominates the imposing monastery of the Holy Monastery of Poretsos (Panagia, the Poreciotissa), dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Inside, rare frescoes of 1608, the work of the brothers George and Demetrios Moschos, are preserved. The stone bridge on the river Erymanthos is also a work of the same period as the monastery. Also, an important monument, also in Agrabela, is the Church of St. Demetrios. The Holy Monastery of Porechou and St. Demetrios, are classified as important monuments of our cultural heritage and have been declared preserved by the Ministry of Culture.
The natural monuments of the region include a large area of the southern side of Erimanthos, within the administrative boundaries of Agrabela, which is included in the NATURA 2000 zone, the Pausanias E31 mountain path, which crosses Ano Vlasia, Platanitsa, Agrabela and Lampeia, the arched bridge on the river Erymanthos, the watermill, the water mill and the natural landscape in general, arouse the visitor's interest.