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The region of Lihada in Northern Evia is the home of a miraculous
icon of "Panagias", the mother of Jesus Christ. It is
not known who crafted the icon, or how it arrived in this area.
There are however, some historical elements that help in unravelling
the mystery that surrounds the icon. |
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| A light suddenly appeared that lead the group of monks
to the coast. Upon reaching the shore, the continued to follow the
light, and arrived at the town of Lihada. The local people of Lihada
welcomed and cared for the monks, but the exact duration and whereabouts
of their stay is unknown. Until the end of the 18th century, there are testimonies that there was a monk serving at the sacred temple of Panagia Theotokos ( Mother of Jesus ). There are also other testimonies that next to the temple were small caves and monk cells, in which the monks resided. The temple was also rumoured to have been operating as a school. These facts lead many to believe that here in Lihada, there was a monastery operating, yet there are no historical documents or evidence to prove this. |
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There is the belief by others that the small church that resided here was destroyed by the Ottomans. This lead the villagers of Lihada seeking shelter and protection in the mountains. Some time after the burning of the church, the villagers returned from the mountains, and came across the ruins of the church. It was on these ruins that they found the miraculous icon of Panagia. |
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| Another story about the church of Panagia Lihada revolves
around a fir tree. In the yard of the church, visitors will see
a large fir tree that has been standing there for many centuries.
The tree dates back to before 1450. During a heavy snow storm in the early 1900's, there was a small fir tree that was bending under the pressure of the snow that had landed on it's branches. The church's commission decided to cut down the small fir tree, so as to protect passers by. The next day, when they were going to cut down the small tree, they came across a truly unique and magnificent sight. The old fir tree had extended one of it's branches, and was holding and supporting the small fir tree. The trees have since been standing exactly like this, as visitors will see when they visit the church. To the villagers, this one another example of the miraculous power of Panagia. |
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| In 1920, there was a sudden fire outbreak, and almost
half of the small temple was destroyed. During the blaze, the fire
swept across the interior and touched the icons of Jesus and Saint
John the Baptist, which were at that point, part of the decoration
of the iconostasis. Miraculously, the fire stopped, and did not
destroy the entire temple. The repairing and rebuilding of the temple started in 1921, and the assistance and help of the people of Lihada was an important factor in this work. By 1928, the rebuilding of the temple was complete. Today, the temple is as it was nearly 80 years ago after the rebuilding had been finished. The church and temple that visitors can visit today is a very beautiful and inspirational one. The temple where the icon of "Panagia Lihada" is kept, is a Byzantine Basilica, which does not have a church porch. Inside the church, on the first row with the coloums, one can see on the right side, an iconostasis that has a very old icon of Jesus. On the left side is an impressive wooden crafted iconostasis with the miraculous icon of Panagia, depicting her last hours on earth. It is worth noting that the icon appears to be sweating, especially on the head of a student follower who stands close to the head of Panagia. |
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| The temple also houses a very rare icon of Saint John the Baptist.
Visitors to the church can also see the wooden crafted throne and
Psalter, which were created by D.Gerostathis. There is also a wooden
crafted epitaph, though the artist and the time it was created are
unknown. As this is very old, it has always been kept in the temple. There are some truly beautiful frescoes in the temple, and these were painted by N.Vlahogiannis and D.Santas, both specialists in icon painting. The belfry of the tower was reonvated in 1960, and the small bell there was actually a gift from Queen Olga. More recently, the roof of the temple was replaced in 1989. Next to the church is the Cultural Centre, which was founded in 1985. The centre consists of two halls. The main hall operates as a museum of Folklore and Ecclesiastic art. In the centre of the main hall are a selection of table games for the use of young visitors. The second hall of the centre operates as a lending library and reading area. There are also spacious yards at the back that are used for sports. This centre was conceived in order to maintain the past, as well as reach out to the present and future of the local people of the area. |
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| Home Page | Panagia Lihada Church | Lihada - Evia | Useful Information |
PANAGIA LIHADA CHURCH
Agios Georgios - Lihada - Evia - Greece
Tel: ( + 30 ) 22260 33007 / 22260 33152
Mobile: ( + 30 ) 6972 882782
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