According to tradition, the original icon of the Theotokos with Christ was discovered by a shepherd in the thirteenth century, in a valley southwest of the island of Kythera filled with myrtle trees, known as “Myrtidia.” In this icon, originally “the features of the Mother of God and Christ could be clearly distinguished down to the chest,” but “with the passage of time, however, it gradually acquired its dark color.”
It is believed that this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke in the first century.
At the place where the icon was “found,” the poor shepherd built a small chapel and devoted the remainder of his life to its care.
After the death of the pious shepherd, the care of the small Temple of the Myrtidiotissa was undertaken by the Monk Leontios, who, with financial assistance from the people of Kythera, enlarged the original temple somewhat and built several cells around it for the accommodation of pilgrims.
However, the multitude of pilgrims arriving from various places created the need for a larger temple.
This difficult undertaking was begun in 1841 with great zeal, effort, and fundraising by the energetic Hieromonk Agathangelos Kalligeros, and within sixteen years a magnificent complex had been completed, consisting of a majestic temple, a towering bell tower that is a masterpiece, and numerous cells for the accommodation of pilgrims.
The small temple of the “finding,” known as the katholikon, remained beneath the large temple and is preserved in excellent condition. During the winter months, the icon of the Panagia is kept there. The love of the people of Kythera has preserved it within an entirely gold covering, a true masterpiece created by the Cretan artist Nikolaos Spithakis in 1827.
At the lower part of the golden covering, three miracles are depicted: the miracle of the shepherd’s discovery of the icon; the miracle of the healing of the paralytic on September 24, at the beginning of the seventeenth century; and the miracle of the preservation of the fortress of Kythera from lightning on January 22, 1829, while the icon of the Panagia was being kept inside the fortress out of fear of the pirates who ravaged the Mediterranean.
The sacred temple celebrates its feast on September 24, the day on which the miracle of the healing of the paralytic is commemorated, which was precisely forty days after the Dormition of the Theotokos.
Within the sacred temple are two chapels: one to the left of the iconostasis, dedicated to the Venerable Virgin-Martyr Elesa (see August 1), and the other to the right, dedicated to Venerable Theodore (see May 12).
It is believed that this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke in the first century.
At the place where the icon was “found,” the poor shepherd built a small chapel and devoted the remainder of his life to its care.
After the death of the pious shepherd, the care of the small Temple of the Myrtidiotissa was undertaken by the Monk Leontios, who, with financial assistance from the people of Kythera, enlarged the original temple somewhat and built several cells around it for the accommodation of pilgrims.
However, the multitude of pilgrims arriving from various places created the need for a larger temple.
This difficult undertaking was begun in 1841 with great zeal, effort, and fundraising by the energetic Hieromonk Agathangelos Kalligeros, and within sixteen years a magnificent complex had been completed, consisting of a majestic temple, a towering bell tower that is a masterpiece, and numerous cells for the accommodation of pilgrims.
The small temple of the “finding,” known as the katholikon, remained beneath the large temple and is preserved in excellent condition. During the winter months, the icon of the Panagia is kept there. The love of the people of Kythera has preserved it within an entirely gold covering, a true masterpiece created by the Cretan artist Nikolaos Spithakis in 1827.
At the lower part of the golden covering, three miracles are depicted: the miracle of the shepherd’s discovery of the icon; the miracle of the healing of the paralytic on September 24, at the beginning of the seventeenth century; and the miracle of the preservation of the fortress of Kythera from lightning on January 22, 1829, while the icon of the Panagia was being kept inside the fortress out of fear of the pirates who ravaged the Mediterranean.
The sacred temple celebrates its feast on September 24, the day on which the miracle of the healing of the paralytic is commemorated, which was precisely forty days after the Dormition of the Theotokos.
Within the sacred temple are two chapels: one to the left of the iconostasis, dedicated to the Venerable Virgin-Martyr Elesa (see August 1), and the other to the right, dedicated to Venerable Theodore (see May 12).
It is worth pointing out that attached to the crown of the Most August Icon of the Panagia Myrtidiotissa is a “most precious, diamond-studded golden ornament in the shape of a crescent moon.” Let us recall its history:
According to what the late Sophocles Kaloutsis, the hymnographer of the Myrtidiotissa, recorded (Service of the Myrtidiotissa, 5th ed., p. 149), there was once on Kythera a wealthy and prominent Turk, a Muslim who resided in Ottoman-occupied Crete.
One day, he noticed an unusual gathering of people in the square of the Metropolitan Church of the Crucified One in Chora.
He asked what was happening, and they told him that the island had been afflicted by a drought lasting many months and that, for this reason, a procession of the Sacred Icon of the Myrtidiotissa would take place. The icon had already been brought down from the fortress, where it was then being kept, and was inside the Church of the Crucified One.
Yet the sky was perfectly clear, and not even the slightest trace of a cloud could be seen on the horizon.
The Turk mocked this undertaking, because reason told him that it would produce no results. And he was so certain of this that he declared that if rain followed the procession, he would dedicate to the Sacred Icon the golden crescent-moon ornament that he had with him.
The procession took place with compunction, and the people of Kythera, kneeling in prayer, pleaded for an end to the drought. And the miracle occurred.
As soon as the Sacred Procession returned to the temple, heavy rain began to fall.
The man of another faith kept his promise and dedicated the ornament to the Panagia.
When this occurred is not stated. It may have taken place before 1837. It was then that the golden covering of the Icon was made by the artist Nikolaos Spithakis, and it was probably he who attached the crescent moon to the crown of the Panagia, “as an everlasting remembrance of the miracle that brought an end to the drought.”
It is therefore possible that the dedication had taken place before 1837.
This miracle of our Panagia inspired the late hymnographer Sophocles Kaloutsis, who devoted an entire oikos of the Akathist Hymn of the Myrtidiotissa to its praise:
According to what the late Sophocles Kaloutsis, the hymnographer of the Myrtidiotissa, recorded (Service of the Myrtidiotissa, 5th ed., p. 149), there was once on Kythera a wealthy and prominent Turk, a Muslim who resided in Ottoman-occupied Crete.
One day, he noticed an unusual gathering of people in the square of the Metropolitan Church of the Crucified One in Chora.
He asked what was happening, and they told him that the island had been afflicted by a drought lasting many months and that, for this reason, a procession of the Sacred Icon of the Myrtidiotissa would take place. The icon had already been brought down from the fortress, where it was then being kept, and was inside the Church of the Crucified One.
Yet the sky was perfectly clear, and not even the slightest trace of a cloud could be seen on the horizon.
The Turk mocked this undertaking, because reason told him that it would produce no results. And he was so certain of this that he declared that if rain followed the procession, he would dedicate to the Sacred Icon the golden crescent-moon ornament that he had with him.
The procession took place with compunction, and the people of Kythera, kneeling in prayer, pleaded for an end to the drought. And the miracle occurred.
As soon as the Sacred Procession returned to the temple, heavy rain began to fall.
The man of another faith kept his promise and dedicated the ornament to the Panagia.
When this occurred is not stated. It may have taken place before 1837. It was then that the golden covering of the Icon was made by the artist Nikolaos Spithakis, and it was probably he who attached the crescent moon to the crown of the Panagia, “as an everlasting remembrance of the miracle that brought an end to the drought.”
It is therefore possible that the dedication had taken place before 1837.
This miracle of our Panagia inspired the late hymnographer Sophocles Kaloutsis, who devoted an entire oikos of the Akathist Hymn of the Myrtidiotissa to its praise:
“Rejoice, end of the drought;
Rejoice, cessation of the scarcity of water;
Rejoice, you who send down abundant rain;
Rejoice, you who from heaven refresh the earth...”
Rejoice, cessation of the scarcity of water;
Rejoice, you who send down abundant rain;
Rejoice, you who from heaven refresh the earth...”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
