Megali Panagia

The Holy Monastery of Megali Panagia or of the “Five Ospitia”, which is located between the villages Koumaradei and Mili, was established in 1586 by the monks Nilos and Dionisios, who came from the mountain Latros of Minor Asia. Its architectural structure follows the usual traditional four-sided 2-floor and 3-floor building complex, with the Catholic being placed diagonally in the centre of the yard. The Catholic (1593) of the monastery, which is celebrated on the day of the Kimisis of Theotokos, belongs to the type of the crossed, registered, complex, 4-column, Athonian church with a narthex, an outer narthex and a chapel, the “ctetoric”, which is celebrated on the day of the Holy Apostles. The frescos of the Catholic, work of an unknown hagiographer of 1596, are remarkable and follow the pattern of the Catholics of the monasteries of Mount Athos. The portable icons, with particularly fine rolled silver in the lar icon of Kimisi, are important. The marble floor is decorated in the centre with marble paleo-christian parapets, which were transported from a paleo-christian basilica of that area. The gilded wooden-carved chancel of 1740, as well as the pulpit and the primatial throne, works of 1805 and 1803 respectively, are of an exceptional artistic value. Moreover, the wooden-carved double door of the main entrance of the church is remarkable. The church still has three chapels. That of Agios Antonios (the cemetery church with an exceptional wooden-carved chancel) and the chapels of Agios Anthimos and Mathew on the northeast wing of the monastery. The contribution of the monastery was important in the culturing of sciences, as well as during the Revolution of 1821. Since 1901 it celebrates on the day of the Kimisi of Theotokos (23^rd August) and constitute a pilgrimage for all the residents of Samos. During earlier times, it constituted a pilgrimage of the wider area of Minor Asia.

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