At the northeastern end of the island, on a windswept plateau rising among groves and vineyards, stands the church of Virgin Mary of Charos (=Death). The monument belongs to the transitional cross-inscribed architectural type but its plan is not standard, as the intersection of the arms of the cross supports a low, blind hemispherical dome, projecting slightly above the volume of the building. The east arm of the cross does not communicate with the corner compartments, a fact that led archaeologist Elias Kollias to infer that from the first the latter served as chapels and not as sacristy and vestry. As it is plastered inside as well as outside, it is not known whether parts of its mural decoration are preserved under the lime. The narthex to the west is a later addition. The proposed dating for the monument ranges between the second half of the 10th and the 12th century. Possibly the construction of the church is connected with the concession of the island, with the gold bulla of Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1087) to the Blessed Christodoulos of Latros. It was a monastic church until World War II.
Ancient architectural members can be seen in the area, such as the foot of a water basin and a caisson fragment incorporated in the masonry, contemporary and identical to the piece preserved at the hermitage of the Ano Koimesis (Upper Dormition) of Lipsi.
The icon of the Panagia of Charos, the palladium of Lipsi, is enshrined in the church. The image is thought miraculous, because since 1943 a bouquet of lilies placed on it revive on the eve of its feast, on 23 August. According to the archive of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on Patmos, the church of the Panagia of Charos originally was a dependency of the Monastery and monks settled there were engaged in cultivation, especially in summer. There are various interpretations of its name. According to the most accepted, it comes from the iconographic type of the Virgin in the eponymous icon. According to others, it is the name of a former owner or monk. Finally, it cannot be ruled out that the church was thus named because it was attached to a cemetery.
Means of access:
Car
Disabled access:
Yes
Opening hours:
By arrangement
Entry fees:
Free
