The Monastery of Panagia Lampidona is built in the settlement of Labinos in the Municipality of Afeto, in eastern Pelion. It is said that a ship was in danger of sinking and the captain begged the Virgin Mary to help him by promising that, where his cannon ball would land, he would build a monastery in her honor. A divine light (lamp) indicated the harbor and saved the ship. A part of this ball is preserved to this day in the step of the temple. The building complex includes the church of the Dormition (icon under collapse) with the chapel of Saints Anargyro, the western wing renovated with two-story buildings and the eastern wing which is kept in a bad condition. The temple was built in 1796 by the architect Dimos Zipaniotis, during the reign of Ignatius and Daniel Hieromonachs, with the sponsorship of Stergios Basdekis (Armatolian commander of Pelion). In the colored stone carvings (works of the sculptor Milios Zipaniotis), which are preserved on the lintels of the western and southern entrance to the temple, there are inscriptions stating the date of the foundation of the temple and the sponsor. An inscription with the year 1780 is preserved in a fountain located in the courtyard. The Monastery celebrates with a festival on August 23.
Editor: Niki Kalopaidis