Σύμφωνα με την παράδοση η αυθεντική εικόνα της Παναγίας με το Χριστό βρέθηκε από ένα βοσκό σε μια κοιλάδα νοτιοδυτικά των Κυθήρων γεμάτη από μυρτιές, που ονομάζονται «Μυρτίδια», τον 13ο αιώνα μ.Χ. Στην εικόνα αυτή αρχικά «διεκρίνοντο καθαρά τα χαρακτηριστικά μέχρι στέρνων» της Θεομήτορος και του Χριστού, «με την πάροδο του χρόνου όμως απέκτησε σταδιακά το σκούρο χρώμα».
Το πιθανότερο είναι η ιστόρηση της εικόνας αυτής να έγινε από τον Ευαγγελιστή Λουκά (1ος αιώνας μ.Χ.). Στη θέση της «εύρεσης» ο πτωχός βοσκός έκανε ένα μικρό εκκλησάκι και στην περιποίηση του αφιέρωσε τον υπόλοιπο χρόνο της ζωής του. Μετά το θάνατο του ευσεβούς βοσκού, την περιποίηση του μικρού Ναού της Μυρτιδιώτισσας ανέλαβε ο Μοναχός Λεόντιος, ο οποίος με χρηματική βοήθεια Κυθηρίων μεγάλωσε λίγο το αρχικό εκκλησάκι και έκτισε γύρω του μερικά κελιά για τη φιλοξενία των προσκυνητών.
But the multitude of pilgrims arriving from various places created the need for a large Temple. This difficult task of construction was begun with much zeal, efforts and fundraising by the active Hieromonk Agathangelos Kalligeros in 1841 A.D. and in sixteen years a magnificent complex consisting of a magnificent Church, a masterpiece towering bell tower and many hospitality cells was built.
The small Church of the «find», the Catholicos, as it is said, remained under the big Church, is kept in excellent condition and there is kept during the winter months the icon of the Virgin Mary that the love of the Cypriots kept in a gold lining, a true masterpiece made by the Cretan artist Nikolaos Spithakis in 1827 AD.
The lower part of the gold lining depicts three miracles: the miracle of the shepherd finding the icon, the miracle of the healing of the paralytus on 24 September (early 17th century) and the miracle of the saving of the fortress of Kythera from the thunderbolts (22 January 1829) during the storage of the icon of the Virgin Mary inside the fortress for fear of the pirates who were plaguing the Mediterranean.
Ο Ιερός Ναός εορτάζει στις 24 Σεπτεμβρίου, ημέρα εορτασμού του θαύματος της θεραπείας του παραλύτου. Στον Ιερό Ναό υπάρχουν δύο παρεκκλήσια, το ένα αριστερά του Τέμπλου, αφιερωμένο στην Οσιοπαρθενομάρτυρα Ελέσα (βλέπε 1 Αυγούστου) και το άλλο δεξιά στον Όσιο Θεόδωρο (βλέπε 12 Μαΐου).
It is worth noting that on the crown of the All-Seed Icon of the Virgin Mary of Myrtidiotissa, there is an adapted «Precious diamond-shaped gold jewel in the shape of a crescent moon». Let us remember its history:
According to what the late Sophocles Kaloytsis, the hymn writer of Myrtidiotissa, saved (sequence Myrtidiotissa, edition 5, p. 149), there was once in Kythera, a rich and prominent Turk, settled in Turkish-occupied Crete, who was a Mohammedan.
One day he noticed an unusual gathering of people in the square of the Metropolitan Church of Esteromenos in Chora.
He asked what was going on and was told that the Island was plagued by months of drought and that is why a Litany of the Holy Icon of Myrtidiotissa would be held, which had already come down from the castle that was guarded at the time and was inside the Crucifix.
But the sky was blue and there was not a trace of cloud on the horizon.
The Turk made this action easy because logic said that it would not bring results. And he was so sure of this that he declared that if rain followed the Litany, he would dedicate the gold jewel of the crescent moon he had with him to the Holy Icon.
The Litany took place with devotion and the Kythirians begged for the solution of the drought. And the miracle happened. As soon as the Holy Procession returned to the Temple, it began to rain rapidly.
The irreligious man kept his promise and dedicated the jewel to the Virgin Mary.
When this happened is not mentioned. Perhaps it was before 1837 AD. At that time the gold plating of the Icon was done by the artist Nikolaos Spithakis and he probably made the adjustment of the crescent to the crown of the Virgin Mary «In eternal memory of the miracle of the solution of the drought».
It is therefore likely that the dedication preceded 1837 AD.
