Church of the Panagia Vrefokratousa

Lesvos


A pilgrimage site of national importance, this elegant walled-off church contains a namesake icon depicting the Virgin, which is believed to make miracles. Indeed, the recovery of a Turkish governor in 1701, attributed to the icon, relieved the village from hefty Ottoman taxes for almost a century. On 15 August every year, the icon is taken from the church and carried around the village in a colourful procession attended by thousands of religious pilgrims.


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