Agia Paraskevi

Agia Paraskevi is a small Orthodox church on Naxos dedicated to Saint Paraskevi, an early Christian martyr venerated across Greece and the broader Orthodox world. Sitting at coordinates roughly in the central-eastern part of the island, it is one of hundreds of chapels that dot the Naxian landscape — each one a working place of worship as much as a piece of local heritage.

What to Expect

Like most small Orthodox chapels on Naxos, Agia Paraskevi is likely a single-nave whitewashed building with a barrel-vaulted roof, a modest bell tower, and an interior that holds an iconostasis screen separating the nave from the sanctuary. Candles, oil lamps, and icons of the saint herself are typical fixtures. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Paraskevi of Rome, a 2nd-century martyr whose name means "preparation" in Greek — a reference to the day before the Sabbath. Her feast day, 26 July, is the occasion most likely to bring the chapel to life with a local panigiri, or saint's day celebration, which may include a liturgy followed by food and music.

The interior, if unlocked, is usually small enough to hold only a handful of visitors at a time. Respect for the active religious use of the space matters here: this is not a museum.

How to Get There

The chapel's coordinates (37.0726° N, 25.5197° E) place it in the eastern interior of Naxos, within reach of the island's central road network that links Naxos Town (Chora) to the mountain villages. From Naxos Town, head inland on the main road toward Filoti or Apiranthos — the two largest villages in the Tragaea plateau — and use a mapping app with the coordinates above to pinpoint the exact location, as small chapels of this kind are rarely signposted. The drive from Chora takes roughly 20 to 35 minutes depending on your precise destination within the interior.

Tips for Visiting

• Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees should be covered before entering any Orthodox church. A light scarf or sarong packed in your bag solves this quickly.
• Check the door quietly. Small Naxian chapels are often locked outside of feast days and Sunday mornings. If you find it closed, the exterior and surroundings are still worth a brief stop.
• Visit on or around 26 July. Saint Paraskevi's feast day is when the chapel is most likely to be open, lit, and attended by locals. Arriving in the early evening for the vespers service the night before is perfectly acceptable for respectful visitors.
• Bring a small candle offering. A taper candle (available at any village kiosk or supermarket) is the traditional way to mark a visit. Light it at the candle stand inside the entrance.
• Combine with the Tragaea villages. Filoti, Halki, and Apiranthos are all within a short drive and offer cafes, Byzantine towers, and Venetian architecture that round out a half-day in the island's interior.

The History

Saint Paraskevi of Rome was martyred in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, according to Orthodox hagiographic tradition. She is particularly associated with healing of eye ailments and is one of the most commonly commemorated female saints in the Greek Orthodox calendar — her name given to countless chapels, villages, and girls across Greece. On Naxos, as on most Greek islands, small chapels dedicated to popular saints were often built by local families or communities as acts of devotion, sometimes on the site of earlier religious structures. Many date to the Byzantine or post-Byzantine period, though they may have been rebuilt or restored in more recent centuries. Without on-site documentation, the precise founding date of this particular chapel is not known.