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When visiting Santorini you will encounter many whitewashed churches of all sizes. There are at least 250 churches on the island, and they are all worth taking a picture. The oldest church is Aghios Stefanos which was built somewhere between the fourth and fifth century in dedication to St. Michael the Archangel. The cathedral in Fira is the most outstanding church in not only in Santorini but in all of Cyclades.
There are not only Greek Orthodox churches on the island, but there are plenty of Byzantine churches also. Stepping inside one of these churched you will see magnificent Byzantine icons and unique marble sculptures.
Some of the feasts that take place at some of the churched are the following:
On august 15th there is the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
On July 20th there is a feast at the monastery located on the edge of the mountain that was which was built in 1712.
To find many portraits of bishops that where painted many years ago, you may visit the Greek nunnery which is named after Aghios Nikolaos which was built in 1712 and is located in Imerovigli.
The church of Episkopi:
The church of Panaghia Episkopi is a Byzantine church located in Mesa Gonia. It is the perfect example of the islands traditional architecture. Here you will hear how during the fire of 1915 many treasures of the church were destroyed and how the only things that were unharmed are the icons that were protected by the invisible hand of the Virgin Mary that covered them from the fire.
Panaghia Episkopi:
This church is admired for its beautiful Byzantine painting and hagiography. It is one of the oldest churched of the island. Panaghia Episkopi was built in 1115. This church has survived invasions and fires, and also the earthquake of 1956. Unfortunately, in 1982 the finest works were stolen, and were never found. |
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