Nativity of the Virgin, Psinthos

The holy church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin is located in the center of the traditional village of Psinthos, next to the village square. It is found 28 kilometres from the city of Rhodes. It is a single-space cruciform church built before 1871, with a pebble floor of the same date. The wood carved iconostasis dates from 1881, with despotic icons from the same period. It celebrates on September 8 and on the day of the celebration of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most important pilgrimages in the region. On the eve of the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin, a great vespers and festival is held in the square of the village, which is surrounded by plane trees and dense vegetation due to the intense presence of springs in the village. On the day of the celebration, a festive Divine Liturgy is celebrated with the participation of the Metropolitan, and after it ends, the icon of the Nativity of the Virgin is carried around the village in the presence of locals and visitors. To the north, on the mountain behind the village, we find the valley of butterflies and the historic Kalopetra monastery (1865). A short distance further south, on the regional road leading to Archipoli, we find the Byzantine monastery of the Holy Trinity (Iamatiko).