Pilgrimage to the Monastery Michael Panormitis, patron saint of the Dodecanese
Symi is the island of Panormitis and you can't go there and not visit the Holy Monastery of Taxiarch Michael Panormitis. So great is its reputation that many visitors go to the island exclusively for pilgrimage and to ask for a miracle.
I went there from Symi with the tourist bus of the travel agency Symi Travel that operates the route daily. The road is paved and you can get there in half an hour.
Once you reach, the bell tower is the first impression is rather impressive with baroque and rococo elements worthy of the local faith in the Archangel which is very strong as he is a miracle worker. There are many who have a miracle to tell or are looking for a miracle in a health problem or in something that concerns, them and for it to happen faith is essential. That is why the crowd of people you will see in the monastery.
The pebbled floor is also impressive as is the church with the very detailed and old hagiographies that are worth exploring. Here is the miraculous icon of Archangel Michael large enough in size to awe the pilgrim and with a multitude of offerings hanging from the faithful as well as straw brooms that I will explain below what they mean. According to the inscription it was silvered in 1724 by John Peloponnesios at the expense of the clergy, the captains and the community of Symi.
The icon of Michael Panormitis
Below is a list of stay options I recommend to you stay at:
- (€) Maravelia's Rooms (⭐ 8.4) in a very good location within the village of Symi. It offers comfortable rooms and a roof garden with a view
- (€) The Old Symi (⭐ 8.9) cozy rooms with traditional touches and most with private balconies guaranteeing a comfortable stay. Located just a short distance from Gialos
- (€€) Pedi Beach Hotel (⭐ 9.3) in Pedi a beach hotel in a modern building for those seeking rest and tranquility
One additional spot you can explore is the balconies of the monastery which are open to the public to take beautiful photos of both the church and the landscape.
A tour into the Monastery
The monastery also houses two museums. The museum of ecclesiastical art is rich in exhibits such as hierarchal vestments, icons, epitaphs, ecclesiastical utensils and precious objects dedicated to the Saint as well as relics of historical value, such as a letter from Ioannis Kapodistrias to the monks and a gold-plated epitaph made in Russia around 1850. The folklore museum includes notable objects of the island's folk culture, as well as objects from the monastery, such as oak wine barrels, pieces of an old still and even a handmade loom.
According to tradition an old woman named Mario of Protenio found a small icon of Taxiarchis while digging in her field in Panormos. She took it home but the icon returned there and the more she took it away the more it returned to Panormos so she built a small chapel that over the years evolved into a monastery. There is no evidence of the origins of the monastery and what is known is from oral tradition.
If you are in Rhodes I recommend the full-day boat trip to Symi and Panormitis.
If you are in Symi then I recommend the bus trip to Panormitis Monastery.
On the feast day of the Taxiarches on November 8, the monastery welcomes more visitors than on all other days of the year combined. The celebration is celebrated with great solemnity by the community of Symi and Rhodes and those pilgrims who do not live in Symi, and believe me there are thousands of them, sleep in the cells, and those who do not fit in the cells sleep wherever they can, even in corners, so as to attend the morning divine leiturgy.
The brooms I mentioned above are an old Symian custom that symbolizes the sweeping away of sins. The ritual is as follows: we take a broom, cross it on the icon, sweep in front of its feet and ask the Archangel to sweep away everything bad in our lives. It started with the warts that the locals suffered and ask him to sweep them away so that they could come in turn to do chores. So it became established that the faithful would sweep and ask him to sweep away all the bad things. You don't need to bring such a straw broom with you as they are sold specifically for this purpose. The brooms, after this whole ritual is done, we take them home for a blessing.
Those who want to, can spend the night in the cells of the Monastery all year round. The stay is simple without luxuries and conditions can be difficult as there is no heating or air conditioning. To book a bed you must contact the monastery's secretariat or the archimandrite directly.
When you have finished your pilgrimage you can satisfy your hunger at the bakery and tavern located next to the monastery.
