Kimolos Island

By Ferry:

Psathi, Kimolos’s port, has regular connections to Piraeus port near Athens via the ferries AGIOS GEORGIOS (Ventouris Lines) and ADAMANTIOS KORAIS (Zante Ferries), the trip lasting approximately 7.5 hours, whilst AQUA (NEL Lines) connects Kimolos to the island of Syros.

Psathi has also connections to other Cyclades Islands, namely Kea, Kythnos, Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios, Serifos, Sifnos, Santorini and Milos. The latter has a daily connection to Kimolos via the local ferry PANAGIA FANEROMENI, which carries both passengers and vehicles, and leaves Milos from a small port in Apollonia, rather than the main port of Milos.

For more information on the schedule of the ferry PANAGIA FANEROMENI, please visit kimolos-link.gr. You can also reach them by phone on +30 6948 308758.

The port is quite small and private vessels should be aware of the shallow waters.

Road System:

Kimolos’s road system extends from Psathi to Chorio and Xaplovouni. Tarmac roads cover about 10km from Fykiada to Agios Minas. There is a relatively accessible 7km long dirt road network, which spreads from Klima to Prasa in the North, and up to Ellinka in the south-west and Sklavos in the centre of the island. Visitors can bring their cars or motorcycles onto the island or they can rent a vehicle out at Chorio (tel. +30 22870 51801, +30 6984 278789).

There is, also, a small bus (driven by Mr Manolis, tel: +30 6973 700033) that travels the tarmac roads of the island, and a taxi (Mrs Aneza Logotheti, +30 69454 64093, +30 22870 51552) that goes all the way up to Prasa.

For more information on the local bus and its routes, please visit www.gokimolos.gr

Hiring a sea taxi:

From the port of Psathi, one can hire a sea taxi to Polyaigos or the Northern part of the isand (Sea Taxi Euaggelos Vamvakaris, tel +30 22870 51150, +30 6972 272111), where one has the opportunity to explore the beaches that are not accessible by land.

According to legend, the island was named after Kimolos, husband of Taurus’s daughter, Sidi, who is thought to be one of the first inhabitants of the land. Others claim that it is named after the word ‘kimolia’ (Greek for chalk), the white rock that can be found in abundance on the island.

In ancient times, Kimolos was also known as Echinousa, because of a snake called Echidna (Ochia in Modern Greek) that roams the island to this day.

During the occupation of the island by the Venetians, they named it Argentiera, (after argentum, the Latin name for silver), most probably because of the distinct colour of the rocks in the south of the island.

• ANCIENT TIMES

Archeological findings show that Kimolos was inhabited since at least 5000 BC. In the 5th Century BC, Kimolos was part of the Athenian Alliance, in contrast to the neighbouring Milos, which was under Spartan influence. On the West side of the island, in the area of Ellinika, one can find the ancient sunk –possibly by a strong earthquake- city of Kimolos. Since antiquity, the two islands have had disagreements over the island of Polyaigos, which has belonged to Kimolos since the 4th Century BC. Remains of the ancient houses and graves can be found on the small island of Agios Andreas (opposite Ellinika), as well as on the seabed between the two. It is of note that in antiquity, from 416 BC onwards, the command of several of the islets in the area, including Polyaigos, was contested for quite a long period of time by Milos. Thanks to the commerce of precious rocks, the island saw substantial growth and even had, in the 3rd Century BC its own currency. It had two ports, one in Ellinika and the other in Psathi, where the local fishermen still store their boats during the winter in caves carved in the rock by the water, known as Syrmata.

• BYZANTINE TIMES

During the era of the Byzantine Empire, the island was known for the excavation and trade of its chalk-rich land. In 1207, the island fell into the hands of the Franks and Marco Sanoudo united it with the Duchy of Naxos.

• OTTOMAN TIMES

The island was then occupied first by the Turks and then, during the Russo-Turkish war (1768-1774), by the Russians.

Kimolos became part of the state of Greece in 1830, along with rest of the Cyaclades Islands.

• THE CUSTOM OF ICONS

In line with a specific custom, an icon portraying a Saint is hosted by a family of faithful for an entire year. On the Saint’s Day, the icon is transferred to the Church before sunset by procession, where there is a liturgy in the Saint’s name. The icon is, then, received by another family.

• OSIA METHODIA (THE SAINT OF KIMOLOS)

Born by pious parents on November 10th 1861 at Kimolos, she was the third child from the eight in her family. She was baptized Irene and from a very young age she stood out by her piety, modesty and love towards the Church.

Within the pious environment of her island and a family devoted to Christ, as she grew up so did her faith and religious fervency. She longed and waited for the proper time to devote herself completely to God and the Church.

However, since she was at an age “suitable for marriage” her parents decided to marry her; she submitted to their will and married a seaman from Chios.

Some time after the marriage the husband of the young woman shipwrecked and drowned at the shores of Asia Minor and then Irene felt that this was the time of divine calling for her.

When she confessed her wish to the priest who was her spiritual advisor, he encouraged her in realization her aim. After proper preparation she was ordained a nun, by the then archbishop of Siros Methodios and took the name Methodia. This event filled Methodia with infinite joy since her deepest wish was fulfilled. From then on she passed her life following faithfully and with great dedication the rules of monasticism, staying in her solitary cell, at “Stiadi”, at the uninhabited Inner Castle of Kimolos, next to the Sacred Church of the Birth of the Lord, which is dated from 1592.

This solitary cell was a true “confinement” where Methodia led an ascetic life with deep faith and enthusiastic perseverance and in spite of the fact that she didn’t live in a monastery she kept the monastic rules diligently and religiously. Her faith and prayers, fasting, vigil, study and her charity transformed her small cell into a holy place which was literally and metaphorically sweet-scented.

From the site of her confinement Methodia seldom left, only to watch the Mass and receive Holy Communion or when it was great need and she wanted to assist someone who was in need.  Her confinement was absolute during the period of the Lent and then she accepted to listen and give advice to women who were in great need and with whom she communicated through a small window, the only one in her cell, without opening her door. However, the rest of the time her cell was a true sacred school not only for the women of Kimolos but also for women from came from other islands having learned about the Osia in order to benefit spiritually from her teaching, to find relief from the sufferings of life and to draw from her inexhaustible source of faith, courage and will, love, perseverance and heart. She had dedicated students who transferred to their families the “dew and the medicament” which sprung from the sacred site and we can argue, with no hint of exaggeration that she influenced the life of all her compatriots.

Strict fasting, vigilance, prayer, tears, study, humility, charity enabled Methodia to become a “healer through Christ” receiving the grace to perform miracles. Miracles that are testified by her compatriots but also miracles that took place and continue to take place even today to those who invoke her help with clear heart and faith.

At an age of 47 and after a brief illness the “Christ Bearing” Osia Methodia passed away on October 5th 1908, while it was generally believed by her compatriots that God placed her amongst His Saints. In their mind she was a Saint and that was obvious in the fact that on August 15th 1946 they composed and signed a confession by which they recognized Osia as “patron saint and guardian of the island and great benefactor of them all”.

In 1962 in the place of her ruined cell a small church was built, honored under the name of Virgin the Merciful and Osia Methodia. They transferred her holy remains from the church of Agios Spiridonas, where they were kept since then, and placed in a crypt within the church. On October 5th 1991, a day of the event for her official declaration as a Saint, her remains were transferred again to the Sacred Church of Panagia Odigitria and they are still kept there, at the holy pilgrimage to every faithful Christian.

They called her an unsleeping vigil candle, the pride and guardian of Kimolos, inspired by God and valuable vessel of God-send virtues, luminescent lamp and brilliant glory of Cyclades. Innumerable are the epithets with which the admiration of the pious Christians adorned the humble peasant girl who felt the Lord’s calling from a very early age and responded with all the might of her soul. In the last two centuries Cyclades gave four holy figures to our Church: Osios Nikodemos Agioritis from Naxos, Osios Arsenios from Paros, Osia Pelagia from tinos and Osia Methodia in the 20th century from Kimolos. Her official sanctification took place by the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the Act 499 on July 17th 1991.

Her memory is celebrated on October 5th.

Source: www.kimolos.gr