Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos
The Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos in the Rethymno prefecture is located between the villages of Kalivos and Agios Mamas, 40 km southeast of the city of Rethymno.
The Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos probably bears the name of the homonymous church of Agios Ioannis Chrysostom.
The village Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos makes its appearance in the 12th century and plays an important part during the Battle of Crete. The residents had moved there from the surrounding villages and are mostly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.
Nearby Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos at the site Peristeres there are two deep caves with stalactites and stalagmites, while near the village the Geropotamos River flows. There is also a Venetian dwelling, which belonged to someone who had been turned to Islam during the first years of Ottoman rule. The Bey of Mylopotamos is reputed to having been living in this house, who during the night of the Resurrection of 1884, went to the church with his family and said that he was a Christian called Ioannis (John).
According to tradition, Agios Ioannis of Mylopotamos had three entrances locked by the villagers in the evenings. Instead of these three entrances, the churches of Agios Ioannis Chrysostom, the Virgin Mary and Agios Georgios now stand. When plague fell in the area, the locals believed that this was because of a woman who tried to get into the village to get the people sick, but the three saints have protected the village and did not let her pass.
