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Saint Varvara

The small chapel is located outside of Argostoli, in a cave under the main road. The area was originally called Agia Varvara. According to tradition, in 1912 a young refugee fell from the road down in the ravine, but he landed on the ground without the slightest wrong! The child himself is said to have narrated that a woman in white helped him to get down. Since then the villagers were watching a flame burning the whole year. When a few years later they found the courage to explore the mystery of flame, they entered into the cave and found the icon of Saint Varvara. They attributed to her the wonder and took the icon in Argostoli, where according to tradition, he stopped a major epidemic that had erupted and decimated a lot of people! The chapel was built in the cave and you can see it from the street – under bridge. From 1953 onwards, the miraculous icon was disappeared – probably stolen. The church celebrates on December 4th according to tradition; the faithful people boil wheat and offer it in congregation, in commemoration of the salvation of the island from the epidemic.

 

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