Holy Metropolitan Church of the Virgin Mary Spilaiotissa, Saint Blaise and Saint Theodora Augusta — Local services in Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands

The Metropolitan Church of Kerkyra (Corfu), known as Panagia (Virgin Mary) Spileotissa, is situated near to the New Fortress and the port, where the old church of Saint Vlasios stood. The church built in 1577 is a three-aisled Basilica with influences of the Renaissance Period. It is dedicated to three saints, Panagia Spileotissa (since after the destruction of the church the icon of Panagia Spileotissa was brought here), to St. Vlasios and to St. Theodora, the Empress of Byzantium. In the interior there are great hagiographies, a Byzantine templon and a silver shrink whith the Holy Relics of Saint Theodora. The most important icons are: Panagia of Dimosiana (made in the town of Ioannina in the 14th century), The Crucifixion (15th century), Agios Georgios (16th century), Agios Govdelas (17th century) and the Last Supper (18th century). The Holy relic of Saint Theodora was transferred here from the Constantinople together with the holy body of Saint Spyridon (his relic is in the Saint Spyridon Church). The procession of the Holy relic of Saint Theodora takes place on the first Sunday of the Lent of the Orthodox religion, every year. Saint Theodora was empress and wife of the emperor of the Byzantium, Theofilos. She lived during the difficult years of iconoclasm (iconoclasty = rejection icons). Her husband, Theofilos, was one of the iconoclasts and opposed to Saint Theodora’s faith regarding the icons of the Orthodox Church. After her husband's death, Saint Theodora governed the country wisely for 15 years, since their son, Michael, was still a minor. Holy Empress Theodora convened in 843 a synod, the Iconoclasts were anathematized and the worship of icons was recognized...

The first Sunday of Great Lent is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy because it commemorates the restoration of the Holy Icons and the triumph of the Orthodox Faith against the terrible heresy of the Iconoclasts, i.e. those heretics who refused to honor the Holy Icons. For more than a hundred years the Church was disturbed by the evil doctrine of iconoclasm.

The first Emperor to persecute the Church was Leo the Isaurian, and the last was Theophilos, the spouse of Saint Theodora, who reigned after her husband's death and re-established Orthodoxy in the time of Patriarch Methodios. Empress Theodora proclaimed publicly that we do not kiss the Icons as a sign of worship, nor do we honor them as "gods," but as images of...

Beautiful place. The metropolitan church of Virgin Mary, Saint Vlassios and Saint Theodora is very nice. In the church rest the relics of Saint Theodora, the empress of Byzantium that reestablished the Holy icons in churches. Her relics were brought in Corfu, as well as the relics of Saint Spyridon's, on donkeys from the fallen city if Constantinople in the 15th century. If you happen to visit the amazing island of Corfu you should definitely pay a visit and pay...