Digital tourism promotion for the Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani of Kea

• New applications highlight the cultural and religious heritage of the island

The Municipality of Kea and the Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani are proceeding with a programmatic agreement for the development of new digital applications, aiming at the tourist promotion and cultural promotion of the historical site.

Promotion of cultural heritage with modern means

The project concerns the implementation of digital applications of a cultural and tourist nature, which will provide information about the Holy Shrine and will offer visitors access to digitized content related to the history and physiognomy of Kea.

This intervention aspires to create a modern digital environment, enhancing the experience of the pilgrim or visitor, while at the same time supporting the extroversion of the Municipality and local cultural institutions.

Upgrading services and utilizing new technologies

Through the implementation of the project, the development of cutting-edge technologies is envisaged that will highlight the tourist, cultural and natural resources of the region. The action also includes the creation of an integrated system for digitization and documentation of material, as well as the provision of online services for free access of citizens to the produced content.

As stated in the relevant decision, the action meets the needs of the Municipality of Kea while enhancing the dissemination of cultural heritage and encouraging citizens to familiarize themselves with new technologies.

Communication and promotion of actions

Within the framework of the project, information and promotion actions have been foreseen in order to strengthen the active participation of local communities and maximize the benefit from the utilization of the applications.

The History of the Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani

The Holy Shrine of Panagia Kastriani is an important religious and historical landmark for Kea. Its history begins in 1700, when, according to tradition, shepherds in the area discovered the icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The first attempts to build a church in another location failed, as - as it is said - the foundations mysteriously collapsed every night, and the tools were always found at the point where the icon had been found.

Consequently, the residents built the first church at this specific location, and in 1912, the magnificent upper church was erected. Gradually, the traditional "cells" were also built around the church, which are still used by pilgrims today.

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