Articles

The Holy Church of Panagia Eleftherotria was built in 1998 during the Municipality of Ath Makri on Patris hill. The church of Panagia Eleftherotria is located on the "Patris" hill, a name derived from a corruption of the word (batterie) which means artillery. There, during the occupation period 1941-1944, the Germans had installed their artillery. At the foot of the hill there was a shelter where the inhabitants of the "Boscou" area took refuge, for protection during the bombings. Among the residents was the mother of the late mayor Ath. Makri, Mrs. Konstantina Makri. The women inside the shelter had placed an image of the Virgin Mary and a small candle and prayed that the war would end as quickly as possible and that the island would be freed from the Germans. Thus, these women ordered a small church to be built in the Grace of the Virgin and in memory of the liberation. This wish was realized, after 54 years, in 1998, by the then mayor Athanasios Makris, who knew about it from his mother but also from other women in his neighborhood. Thus, with his efforts and in collaboration with the architect Manolis Papagiotopoulos, this beautiful church was built, named "Panagia Eleftherotria", in memory of the liberation and withdrawal of the Germans from the island on October 12, 1944. The date of the departure of the Germans from the island was saved from the diary of Ms. Foteina Efstathiou - Kofina where she vividly describes the day of the departure of the Germans. The architecture of the temple belongs to the vaulted basilica with an exonarthex. The particular construction of the bell tower on the western side of the temple which the unites with its main entrance, it is an indisputable case of "marriage", of the classic island mainly Cycladic architecture together with Byzantine origins that give this beautiful result. The church of Panagia Eleftherotria celebrates on October 12. (The text was written by Ms. Maria Butsi) Source of photographic material: https://www.salamina.gr/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF% 83%CE%B7-%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%85/%CE%B1%CE%BE%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%B8%CE% AD%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1/%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%B5%CE% BB%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%8E%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1/