The famous church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani or Katapoliani is located in the northeastern part of Paroikia, just a short distance from the port and it is one of the most important early Christian monuments of Greece.
According to tradition it was built in the 4th century by Constantine the Great and his mother St. Helena, after a vow she made on her way to the Holy Land to find the Holy Cross. The Saint vowed that if she managed to find the Cross, she would build a magnificent temple at this spot. The original building, a wooden roof basilica, was probably destroyed by fire and was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Justinian who also added the dome. In the centuries that followed, the church was destroyed and looted many times. Nowadays the church is restored based on the Justinian standards. It has 99 open and 1 closed gate and it includes six chapels dedicated to famous saints.
On the south side of the church you can see a baptistery which dates back to the 4th century BC and it is the oldest and best preserved baptistery throughout the Orthodox East.
The church celebrates on August 15th with a big festival. In the same area you will also find the Byzantine Museum with an exhibition of paintings, wood carvings and other ecclesiastical relics from the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation.
