Foinikia used to be the agricultural settlement of Ia (Oia). Farmers lived there so as to be close to their fields and vineyards, making their famous wines on-site, in underground wineries, dug into the rock.
The Church of Santa Matrona was built in 1859 by a local ship-owner named Francesco Platis, at an amphitheater-like spot in the settlement of Foinikia, characterised by its palm trees (‘foinikies’). The holy church is dedicated to the miracle maker, Santa Matrona the Chiopolitida. The residents of the Aegean islands have a special reverence for Her person.
The saint is celebrated on the 19th of October. The day before, in the early evening, people gather for the mass. After the mass, one of the finest and oldest traditional festivals of Santorini takes place, thanks to the residents of Foinika. The old wineries are filled with life, as people locals, and visitors gather from all around the island.
Directly across from the church is one of the most beautiful of the decaying old buildings with a large patio, where serving tables are set up with huge pots of meat and rice pilaf. The festival goes on into the early morning hours. Enriching the experience, musicians from neighboring islands join local musicians.
Photos by: Konstantina Sidiropoulou (K. Yellow)
