Far from the
city center, at a distance of 83km, hidden amidst the mountains lies a small
village with just a handful of inhabitants, called Mesanagros. The name
Mesanagros means a “cultivated, fenced large Byzantine farm”. There, you will
find sugar-cube houses of rural architecture that go way back and you will
discover various places of interest.
In the village
square stands the Church of the Annunciation of Virgin Mary built in the 13th
century, while on the hill of “Stavros”[Cross] the travelers can enjoy the panoramic view, gazing at the
two seas surrounding the island of Rhodes to the east and west.
Nearby is the
Skala [Staircase] of St. Thomas, a
landscape with waterfalls and lush coniferous forest fauna and flora – a visit
there is a must for nature lovers. Just outside the village, at the top of
Mountain Skiadi, between the villages of Apolakkia and Kattavia, is the
Byzantine church of Panagia Skiadeni [Virgin
Mary the “Shade casting”]. Marble architectural features on site suggest to
the existence of an ancient temple dedicated to Artemis.
The church
owes its name either to the fact that the place is always shady even in sunny
days, or because the hill looks like a “skiadion“, that is, a hat. The icon of Virgin Mary is
considered miraculous and there are many stories about it. According to the
most popular one, once a pirate ship was looming over the village, looted the church
and stole the icon. With the help of the Virgin the ship was immediately turned
into stone! Opposite the church you can see the “Stone Ship” with the
naked eye.
During the
Holy Week at Easter and the week after that, the icon of Virgin Mary is
transferred from one village to another on a kind of relay (see also special
information on Kattavia). Initially, this procession was carried out so that
Virgin Mary would bless the crops, heal the sick, or endow the place with rain.
At the beginning of Lent, men, women and children alike hold the miraculous icon
of Virgin Mary and carry it to the island of Chalki, chanting all the way. The
icon then returns to Skiadi. Next stop is the village of Monolithos, wherefrom,
after Lazarus Saturday, it is transferred to a different village every day.
