Panagia Ekatontapyliani Paros

The Ekatontapyliani church also called Katapoliane or Virgin of the 100 doors, we find it in the Paroikia center the Paros capital in the western part of the island.

Without any doubt one of the most important paleochristian monuments of all the Cyclades islands with its particular charm that is definitely worth a visit if you are on your Greece holiday in Paros.

With simple and essential lines, it initially consisted of three naves with a wooden roof. On the sides of the naves there are three chapels, of which the oldest and of great importance is the one dedicated to Saint Nicola which is at the bottom on the left, a saint very dear to the Greeks for his historical personality and his mission in the fight against heresies and paganism. Later, in the Emperor Justinian period , it was enlarged, covered in masonry and made a new roof with the addition of a dome commissioning for the restoration Isidoro from Mileto the architect who built the Saint Sofia basilica in Instabul and for for this reason the Ekatontapyliani church is also called the Saint Sophia of the Aegean. For the restorations and extensions made during its history, ancient marbles and columns from the Hellenistic period were used, while a part of the altar, a mosaic and two of the columns are from the period of the Roman gymnasium which dates back to the 1st century AD, place where young people trained for athletic competitions. At the Archaeological Museum of Paros, there is also a beautiful mosaic that represents the labors of Hercules coming from the church of Ekatontapyliani always from the period of the Roman gymnasium. The beautiful frescoes of the baptistery instead date back to the IX-XII AD.

Originally the Church was dedicated to the Dormition of Vergin (according to the Catholic Church Maria did not die but fell into a deep sleep before being taken to heaven). From the 16th century, it took the name of Katapoliani (in Greek near the center) and then was definitively baptized as Panagia Ekatontapyliani (in Greek one hundred doors). In reality it is not clear why the attribution of this name as there is no trace of the hundred doors.

There are various legends that revolve around the reason for its construction, the first narrates that it was wanted by Flavia Giulia Elena the mother of Emperor Constantine I who in 326 AD stopped in Paros during his search for the Holy Cross towards Jerusalem. A second version is linked to the escaped danger during a storm by Flavia Giulia Elena who finds shelter in Paros and wanted to build the church as a sign of gratitude for having survived. The most important figure linked to the church is Saint Theoctiste from Lesbos who died right here at the end of the 11th century after a life as a hermit in the period when Paros was uninhabited due to the constant attacks of Saracen pirates. In 1733 a strong earthquake damaged the church but Nikolaos Mavrogenis of the Manto Mavrogenis family the hero of Paros who supported the war of Greek independence financed the restorations. The last intervention to preserve this iconic Christian monument dates back to the 1960s.

The visit to the Ekatontaplyani Church is free, but if you want to access the ecclesiastical museum under the porch on the right side of the entrance where there is the ancient baptistery the cost is € 2 per person, go there is a form of help for the conservation of the place and a good opportunity to see something historical.

It is located in the center of the Paroikia village, hidden by a high white wall but impossible not to find it given its grandeur.

Whether you are a fan of places of worship, spend some of your time for a visit and insert it in the things to see in Paros, it will be an excellent opportunity to understand and understand the events of this beautiful Cycladic island.