The church of Elytis in Sikinos

The story of the church of Elytis in Sikinos

On a prime location halfway to the monastery lies the church of Elytis in Sikinos. Odysseas Elytis (1911-1996) was a Greek poet who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979. He is regarded as an important exponent of romantic modernism, and throughout his oeuvre, Greece is a constant motive.

Elytis has never visited Sikinos. But the poet adored the purity of the island; for him, Sikinos was a virgin version of Greece. He has mentioned Sikinos in his poems, and he loved how the word “Sikinos” echoed. Building a small church was a dream of the poet, and since 2011 the so-called church of Elytis in Sikinos exists. Of course, the real name of the church is not “the church of Elytis in Sikinos”; its actual name is Panagia Pantochara.

On the entrance of the church, the inscription reads: “Partheno Sikinio Odysseas Elytis anethike” (“To Virgin Mary of Sikinos in honor of Odysseas Elytis”). From the small yard of the church, one can see on a clear day, the island of Sifnos. The sea that the poet praised throughout his work seems to be everywhere. The white lines, the bell on the side, and the gravel on the front yard compose some sort of tribute to the Greek landscape.

I visited the church around the 10th of September, but unfortunately, the door was shut. It was a windy afternoon, but the sun was still intense. I stayed there for twenty minutes, and I admired the landscape, the rough sea, the straight lines. I read extensively Elytis’ poetry about 15 years ago, but I can’t recite any of his poems by heart. Visiting Sikinos motivated me to go again through his poems.

One of my favorite poems by Odysseas Elytis

Odysseas Elytis info & books

You can find more info about Odysseas Elytis here, and you can also read his Nobel speech.

There are quite a few translations of Elytis’ poems in English. If you would like to have an introduction to his oeuvre, please consider any of the following books. The first one will give you a good overview of his work, while the other three are standalone editions.

1. Selected Poems: 1940-1979
2. The Axion Esti
3. The Little Mariner
4. Eros, Eros, Eros

Let me know if you have read any of the books by Odysseas Elytis and, of course if you have visited the church of Elytis in Sikinos.

More about Sikinos: An introverted island, That bus in Sikinos & Things to do in Sikinos

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Last Updated on May 4, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos