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Ιστορία: About

Panagia of Goura

The church of Panagia Goura (Holy Mary of Goura) is located northeast of Vilia , on the east side of Mount Lestori , in the mountain range of Kithairon. The church celebrates on the 23rd of August. Outside the church there is a spring with very icy water, which comes out of a rock. It is accessible either from the rural road by car, motorbike, mountain bike (4 km), or from the hiking trail (1.5 km / h), which starts from Vilia.

Every year on the 23rd of August, the people of Vilia celebrate the nine days of the Holy Mary in the small church located on the east side of Lestori at an altitude of 800m where the firs begin! The feast of Panagia Goura is connected with the bazaar of Thebes, the so-called "kouroupi" !! Great animal fair and trade fair for the locals of the whole surrounding area and consequently for the people of Vilia! Here there is in the rock the source from which the village is watered until today.
The church has always been a station for travelers who, following the homonymous path, left the village for the plain of Thebes. After the service, everyone went down to the village and in the first houses (today's kindergarten) the women sang and danced. Of course, there are many satirical couplets that the Vilian Arvanitises sang, making their mark on such a day without being misunderstood.
On the eve, the women of the village prepare the decoration of the icon and the church and in the afternoon the icon together with the priest and a crowd of believers start from the village and going up the path they reach the church for the evening.

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