Agios Nicholaos of Xenon (of the Foreigners)

In the center of Ithaca, behind Vathi, among the small traditional shops, you can see the picturesque church of Agios Nicholaos of Xenon. Its courtyard is paved with slabs and the simple steeple stands out among the red roofs of the surrounding houses.

Agios Nicholaos of Xenon is a traditional church, with its flowers always neat and the courtyard clean, inspiring a sense of ‘home’ to the pilgrims that visit the church. At Vathi, the Epitaph of Agios Nicholas of Xenon is widely renowned and it goes on litany (traditional religious procession) every year on Holy Friday, through the narrow streets of the country and meets at the central square the Epitaph of another parish, the Cathedral.

In Agios Nicolaos of Xenon there is an icon with the hagiography of “Jesus Elkomenos”, which is attributed by many to El Greco (Dominikos Theotokopoulos). The church celebrates with solemnity on December 6, but it remains open every day for visitors who want to light a candle and pray in silence.