Where the icon of Our Lady Pyrovolithisa is located
The icon of Theotokos Pyrovolithisa is found above the lintel of the outer gate of the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopaidi. Unfortunately, there are no precise details regarding the way how this holy icon appeared.
Why the icon of the Theotokos is called Pyrovolithisa
The name of the icon comes from the Greek word “Πυροβοληθείσα” that means "the Shot" and derives from a tragic event that occurred in 1822 A.D. when the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi was seized by Turkish guards.
At that time, a Turkish soldier desecrated the icon of the Theotokos by firing his weapon at it, wounding her right hand.
Moments later, this sacrilegious soldier lost his mind and took his own life by hanging himself from an olive tree across from the entrance of the Monastery.
Initially, it was believed to be a murder, and the Turks began preparing for revenge in response to the soldier's death. However, this perception changed when a fellow soldier, who had witnessed the event, informed the deceased soldier’s uncle about his nephew’s suicide.
The divine judgment upon the sacrilegious soldier
The uncle, who was the commander of the military unit, considered this act to be divine judgment. He decreed that his sacrilegious nephew should remain unburied, as a criminal.
To this day, the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary Pyrovolithisa remains in the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, continuing to perform miracles.
Find the article here: Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi: the Athoniada Academy and the miraculous icons of the Virgin Mary
