LEFKADA GREECE RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS ΠροσκύνημαPilgrimage at στουςthe Temples Ναούς andκαι τιςMonasteries Μονές της of Λευκάδας Lefkada PREFECTURE OF LEFKADA email: [email protected] www.lefkada.gr 1 LEFKADA II RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS II HOLY TEMPLE OF ST. MINAS It stands out for the magnificent ba- roque wooden carved iconostasis, deco- rated with leaves of gold and beautiful icons οf post-Byzantine art, painted by Konstantinos Kontarinis. The marvellous icons of the “urania” (ceiling), painted by the great Heptanesian icon painters Nikolaos Doxaras and Nikolaos Kout- EUROPE - GREECE GREECE - LEFKADA ouzis, were destroyed by a fire in 1977 and replaced by reproductions, painted by the contemporary artist Themistocles Karfakis. It stands out for its iron bell-tow- Thessaloniki er. It celebrates on 11/11. The most admirable of Lefkada’s ITALY From the Temple of Saint Minas begins temples, situated in the most central the Central Market of the city, the “Ba- location of the city. It was built in 1707, zaar”, a pedestrian precinct leading to after the miracle of Saint Minas, Saint Ioannina the beach, embellished with temples Victor and Saint Vincent during the for Brindisi and houses of antiseismic construction Igoumenitsa earthquake of 11 November 1704. for Ancona Corfu (ground floor built with stone and upper for Venice floors built with wood and painted steel Paxi sheet) – typical examples of Lefkadian Volos architecture. Lefkada Aktion - Airport Ithaca Kefalonia Antirion HOLY TEMPLE OF In the interior, you will find the impres- sive neoclassical iconostasis, the wooden Patras Rion EVANGELISTRIA Athens (Metropolis) curved Despotic throne, the high pulpit, Zakynthos as well as the huge columns, dividing the temple into three naves. The icons of Renaissance art decorating the iconos- tasis and the urania were painted by the Lefkada Ferry Boat National Rion - Antirion bridge Lefkadian icon painters Spyr. Stampoglis Highway and Spyr. Gazis (end of 19th – beginning of 20th century). Formal ceremonies and How to get to Lefkada doxologies are performed in the Temple By car: Through the tunnel connecting Preveza and Aktion • Through the port of Igoumenitsa and the Metropolite officiates here on (100km) • Through the port of Patras (170km) great feasts (Christmas, Epiphany, Great By bus: From Athens (378km), 5-hour routes • From Thessaloniki (420km), 5-hour routes as Thursday – Easter). The feast of the Tem- well. KTEL (Greek Bus Operators) Tel.: of Lefkada 26450 22364, of Athens: 210 5150108, of ple is celebrated on 25/5. The Historical It is the Metropolitan Temple of the city, Thessaloniki: 2310 595439 Archive of Lefkada is housed in an adja- seat of the Metropolite of Lefkada and By airplane: From Athens, Thessaloniki and Siteia, Crete, to Aktion (18km Aktion - Lefkada) • cent building. A small “sokaki” (narrow Ithaca. Built for the first time in 1689, Tel.: Olympic Air 210 3550500, Athens Airways 210 6696600, 801 801 4000 road) leads to the “Bazaar”, to the Holy it took its present shape in 1886, after Temple of the Entry of the Most Holy consecutive disasters and earthquakes. Theotokos into the Temple. Itineraries to the surrounding islands Daily ferry boat services from Nidri and Vassiliki to Kefalonia, Ithaca and Meganisi. Small tourist boats to nearby beaches and islets, as well. 2 3 LEFKADA II RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS II LEFKADA II RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS II HOLY TEMPLE OF EISO- It is characterized by the high baroque HOLY TEMPLE OF SAINT Having remained loyal to traditional DIA OF THEOTOKOS iconostasis, the renaissance paintings ANARGIRI decoration, it is a typical Lefkadian tem- on the urania and the walls, and the ple: simple basilica, high wooden curved post-Byzantine icons on the iconosta- iconostasis, remarkable post-Byzantine sis, all painted by Lefkadian icon paint- icons painted by Stylianos Devaris and ers (Ioannis Roussos, Styl. Devaris, Dem. Renaissance paintings by Spyr. Gazis. A Kampisos – Mpelos, Spyr. Stampoglis, Heptanesian choir chants on Sundays Spyr. and Ourania Gazis). The representa- and feasts. It celebrates on 1/7 and on tion of the Second Advent on top of the 1/11 to the memory of St. Anargiri, Ko- iconostasis is imposing. The “deposito”, smas and Damianos. Saint Dionysios, a special priedieu for the icon of the archbishop of Aegina, is also honoured Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into there through litany of his “larnax” (oil- the Temple next to the Holy Podium, painting - reproduction of his relic) on 17 is also impressive. The traditional Hep- December. Previously a fraternal temple, it is today tanesian bell-tower is unique in the city a chapel of the parish of Evangelistria. The parish temple of Saint Anargiri is situated of Lefkada. It was recently restored, after Erected for the first time in 1720, it in the square of “Markas”, not far from the the earthquake of 2003. It celebrates on forms a typical example of Lefkadian Market of the city and very close to the 21/11. This should form a must-stop dur- ecclesiastical art. temple of “Panagia ton Xenon (Virgin Mary of ing your evening- or morning walk to the the Foreigners)”. It was erected in 1725. Market of the city. HOLY TEMPLE OF PANAGIA It was erected in 1718 and decorated TON XENON with icons painted by Dem. Kampisos – (VIRGIN MARY OF THE FOREIGNERS) Mpellos and Sp. Gazis, while its last resto- ration was recently completed. Its feast is HOLY TEMPLE OF It was erected for the first time in 1700 celebrated on 8/9, as well as on 15/8. In as a thanksgiving of the Orthodox Lefka- the evening of 15 August a litany of the PANTOKRATOR dians to the Pantocrator Christ for the icon of the Assumption of the Theotokos liberation from the Turks (6/8/1684). Af- begins from the Temple and passes ter the devastating earthquake in 1869 through the main streets of the city. it was re-erected and decorated with At the square of Markas, the Public Li- works of Spyros Ventouras and Dionysios brary of Lefkada with the Collection of Kalivokas, as well as with the first neo- Icons of Post Byzantine Art, the “Chara- classical iconostasis of Lefkada. moglios Special Library of Lefkada” As a private temple, it belongs to the Sta- (having figured in the Guinness Book of vros and Valaoritis families and therefore World Records as the largest special sub- Not far from the Sacred Temple of Saint Anargiri is ject library with more than 40.000 books opens only on the day of its celebration the parish temple of “Panagia ton Xenon”. Dedicated (6/8, Metamorphosis) and for the Doxol- to the Nativity of Theotokos, it owes its epithet “ton concerning exclusively Lefkada, engrav- ogy of the 21st May, the anniversary of Xenon” (of the Foreigners) to the residents of Lefkada ings, maps etc.) are also located, as well the Unification of the Heptanese with who came from the opposite mainland (Epirus, Sterea as the library of the exceptional neohel- This historic church is situated almost Ellada, Peloponnese) and registered there as members len Byzantinologist, Nikos Svoronos. Mother Greece (1864). of the parish. in the centre of the Market. It stands In the garden, behind the Holy Podium, out for its baroque façade with many lies the grave of the Lefkadian national HOLY TEMPLE OF A picturesque chapel built in the 19th gothic elements, as well as for the poet, Aristotelis Valaoritis, who hymned SAINT MARINA century. It is located in a rich plain close traditional cobble-stone pavement in in his popular poems the Struggles of to the beach of Saint Ioannis, ideal for a front of the temple. the Nation for Liberty, and significantly quite pleasurable walk. contributed to the Struggles of the Hep- It presents the architecture of the island tanesians for Unification. temples and it celebrates on 17/7. 4 5 LEFKADA II RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS II LEFKADA II RELIGIOUS DESTINATIONS II HOLY TEMPLE OF It is a parish temple, situated a few me- The countryside close to the city (Kampos, Gyra, Ai-Giannis, Fryni, Apolpaina, SAINT NICHOLAS ters far from the pedestrian precinct of Kalligoni) offers the visitor the opportunity to enjoy the beauties of Lefkadian the Market. With impressive iconostasis, nature by taking a recreational walk. baroque entrances and windows and the greatest icons of Ioan. Rousos and HOLY TEMPLE OF ST. MAURA The large temple of the Saint that existed Sp. Ventouras, it is one of the most im- at that time was destroyed by the English portant churches of the city. It is worth (1810) and the southeast bastion of the making a small deviation during your Fortress was transformed into a church, morning or evening walk to the Bazaar. It which exists up to now. It celebrates on celebrates on 6 December with litany of 3/5. The castle is a well-maintained fort the icon of the Saint. Open both morn- with a moat, semicircular bastions and It was erected for the first time in 1687 ings and evenings. secret passages, and to which almost with the permission of the Venetians, all conquerors left their contribution. It and re-erected several times due to is worth taking a walk to the machicola- earthquake destructions. It is situated in the Frankish castle of tions, and especially to the bastion with Saint Maura. Frank Andigavians spread the beacon and the flat roof on top HOLY TEMPLE OF SAINT It is a small church of great value: the the virtue of Saint Maura to the island, of the temple of the Saint, where the bell-tower is situated, offering a view to DEMETRIOS Despotic icons of the iconostasis etc. which for six centuries was named “Agia were painted in about 1721 by the ex- Maura”. Lefkada.