Agia Mavra, also sometimes known as the Church of St Thomas and Mavra is found in the village of
Macherado which is around 10km or 15 minutes west of the islands capital
Zakynthos Town.
Most popular churches draw visitors to an impressive relic collection or remarkable jewels, but the Church of Agia Mavra has quite a different claim to tourism fame. If you want to get close to local legends, you needn’t look any further than this house of worship.
The traditional story claims a shepherd on
Zante Island found an image of the Saint Maura hanging from a tree and carried it home. The next morning, however, the icon magically returned to the same tree and the pattern repeated day after day until a church honouring Saint Maura was built onsite.
Today, the church consists of an impressive Venetian bell tower and is strikingly decorated with jewels, gold, and remarkable frescoes. Each May, villagers in Macherado honour Agia Mavra with an annual festival.
