The church of Saint Paraskevi of Drakos in Arta rises above the Ampelia – Ammotopos settlement, northeast of the Arta-Chanopoulou-Ammotopou provincial road, linking its founding with the adjacent cave or "drakotrypa" (dragon's hole) (about 30 meters deep), as the locals call it.
At the entrance of the cave, an opening of about 4x4 meters, a tunnel begins that, according to folk tradition, extends up to two kilometers and ends at another cave near Grimnovo. According to the legend, the dragon of the cave would appear at the local feast, snatching people, until Saint Paraskevi exterminated it, establishing the place as a sacred pilgrimage site.
The exact date of the church's foundation is not preserved. However, the architectural features and construction techniques place it in the second half of the 11th century, at the beginning of the Middle Byzantine period. The digital archive of the Municipality of Arta refers to it as a monument subject to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Arta.
During the medieval years and after the founding of the Despotate of Epirus, the church functioned as one of the churches in the countryside, a place of worship but also of local gathering. Over the centuries it suffered damage, especially during the Revolution of 1821, and undergone reconstructions in sections of the masonry and the dome.
Additionally, three of the five doors were added to reinforce the structural adequacy. Elements of the south and west facades, as well as the brick bands around the dome windows, reveal interventions from more recent times.
Architecturally, the church follows the inscribed cross with dome type, with a square narthex to the west. The masonry is plain, with limestones in irregular layers and limited use of bricks.
Brick sawtooth bands around the openings and double arched frames in the double-lobed windows break the monotony. The roof is covered with stone slabs, a characteristic of the churches of Epirus. The old frescoes in the sanctuary are minimally preserved; tradition mentions works from 1771, but many have been covered or destroyed by renovations and whitewashing.
In the social fabric, the church of Saint Paraskevi of Drakos maintains a significant role. Every July 25th and 26th, worship events are held—vespers, artoklasia (blessing of the loaves), matins, and a festive divine liturgy—which attract the faithful from all over Arta. Tradition holds that the holy water from the "dragon's cave" trickles pure water only on the days of the feast, which is considered miraculous.
Access to the church is easy via the Arta-Chanopoulou-Ammotopou provincial road, on a hill approximately 11 km north of Arta. The visit combines religious and cultural interest, especially for those seeking monuments of the **Byzantine period** in Epirus. The church constitutes a landmark of the Municipality of Arta and an important ecclesiastical monument, with comparisons to churches such as Saint Basil in Gefyra.
