Today, the two fairy places of Kythira, the Karavas and Mylopotamos, their patron saint, Saint Charalambos. I remember, back in the day, when all the young people in Kythera got excited to go to the dance held at the cafes of Karava and Mylopotamos. The church of Karavas, which stands on a hill, was founded in 1795 on the initiative of 47 Karavites, who organized themselves into a brotherhood, like all the other churches on Kythira. The maregola (constitution) stipulates that every year on the saint's feast day, a vote (ballot) should be held to elect the priest, two commissioners, the secretary, and a gastaldo (responsible for financial matters).
The start of the temple's construction in 1800 coincided with the most turbulent period in the history of Kythira. During a transitional period, with the Russo-Turks, Kythira was administered by the Kriterium, a revolutionary court, which issued the decree legalizing the building, recognizing the ownership of the brothers of the temple, and ratifying the maregola. The brotherhood made great progress and the zeal of its members made Saint Charalambos an enviable place of worship in Kythira. In 1874, with the increase in population, the brotherhood decided to build a new, larger and more magnificent church in the same location. The ubiquitous Karavites, the benefactors Patrikios and Dilaveris, contributed to the church being furnished with valuable offerings and becoming one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical monuments in Kythira..
