Church of the Virgin Keriotissa

The beautiful, tended pavement of the church attracts a lot of attention, particularly in places where there is colourful detail. The church is impressive with its natural earth colours, embossed windows and entrance with columns that resemble ancient pillars. The bell tower is also impressive with burgundy and ocher colours complemented with stone detail. The original form of the church is unknown, it once belonged to Venice who then gave it to the villagers in 1630. It was renovated in 1745 and then again after the earthquake of 1953. Inside the church there is an ancient image of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus with her right hand which is considered miraculous. According to tradition in the early 17th century a shepherd saw something sparkling in some bushes close to where his sheep were grazing and decided to light a fire to see what it was. It was here that he discovered the image of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus on her right hand side with St.Nikolas on the other side, only it was slightly burnt. The shepherd carried the image to the village church but the next day returned it to where he had originally found it.  This is how the location of where to build the church of the Virgin Keriotissa came about.