On the verdant slope where the village is built, the miracle related to the icon of the Virgin happened many years ago.
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It appears a tree engulfed in flames led residents to believe a forest fire had broken out.
But when they reached the spot they saw the miraculous event. While the tree was burnt to the root, the icon of the Virgin Mary rested on it, which the fire had not even touched.
The residents are full of emotion, after they worshiped the image, they took her to the village church, where the rest also had the opportunity to worship her.
But the next morning and while the visitors were crowding, the image was found to be missing. After all, after the mobilization of the faithful the image was found in its original position. She was again placed at the root of the burnt tree.
The icon of the Virgin returned to the church, where it was locked. But the same thing happened three more times. The image was disappearing and was once again on the burnt tree. This event made the inhabitants believe that it was the will of the Virgin Mary to be there and that is why they built a church on the spot and placed her icon there.
The snakes
Later, a women's monastery was built in the area, whose nuns cared for the icon. One day as pirate ships were approaching and the pirates were heading towards the Monastery in order to loot it, the nuns prayed to the Virgin Mary to protect them and the monastery.
Then the miracle happened. The monastery was surrounded by snakes that made the pirates flee. This was considered a sign from the Virgin Mary. Thus the nuns and the Monastery were saved.
Since then, snakes appear every year, even inside the church ( they even hang from the pictures, the candlesticks or the pews ), which depart on 15 August.
If some year the snakes do not appear, something bad is foreshadowed for the island, like the 1940 and 1953, so the island was hit by earthquakes.
None of the experts who have examined the snakes can classify them into any of the known species. These are gray, minutes and their length does not exceed one meter. Their skin is also velvety on the head, as well as the tip of their tongue, a small cross is formed.
As is widely known, snakes are considered miraculous and harmless, therefore the faithful touch them without fear. After all, they are one of the main reasons why someone visits the island on the fifteenth of August.