Panagia Limnia (Holy Mary) Church
Going up the road from the island’s old port, towards the ‘Plakes’ area, passing through the cobbled-street, you will reach the Holy Church of Virgin Mary ‘Limnia’. The church was built in 1829 and is the second biggest church on the island. Its imposing bell tower is visible from, almost, every part of the town, while the special lighting, at night, makes it look even more majestic than it already is.
The most fascinating fact regarding the church is the history behind its name: at north Euboea, there is an ancient ‘Elymnio’ where today’s small town ‘Limni’ is built. From there, in the 1790s, approximately fifty families came to the island and settled at the area near today’s ‘Plakes’ (during the Christian Medieval times, Skiathos’ central city was built right at this particular place). However, they found the place totally desolated, since all locals had moved to the Castle during the 15th century, so as to find shelter from the constant hostile invasions on the island.
Then, after the beginning of the Revolution, in 1821, they abandoned their households, too, and sought refuge in the Castle. Eventually, in 1829, alongside the locals, they came back. Soon after, they built the Holy Mary Limnia Church, right at the district’s center, at the exact same place where there used to be the old, small, parish church of Saint Xaralampos. In 1836, Limnia Church was officially dedicated to Virgin Mary’s birth and, since then, has been celebrated on the 8th of September every year.
