The cave below the Panagia Spiliani Monastery (see previous page) is a chamber, 36 metres wide and 8.5 metres high, sloping down 120 metres into the rock of the hill on which the monastery stands. 95 steps lead down from the bright sunlight to the gloomy chasm.

At the end of the cave is a tiny chapel, thought to be the site of pagan worship in ancient times, next to which is a pool , known as the Agiasma (Αγίασμα, Holy Water), whose water is considered to be holy.

The cave contains an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to have miraculous properties, and as with many other marvellous icons it has a legend attached to it: Strangers (some sources say they were from Patmos) stole the icon and sailed away with it, but it fell into the sea, broke into five pieces and drifted back to Samos. Locals then recovered the pieces from the sea, put them back together.

The famous icon is badly worn, difficult to see and impossible to photograph, especially since a large bowl used as a lamp is placed in front of it, and it is usually surrounded by crowds of people trying to make sense of it. I have not yet found a decent picture of this icon on the web, so it seems other people have had the same difficulty in capturing it photographically.

The Virgin Mary (in Greek Παναγία, Panagia, all holy) is depicted as an attractive young woman with rosy cheeks, and Jesus, who is sitting in her lap and holding on to her right hand, as a handsome young child. The scene is tender, but without the agony, pathos or sentimentality of many other icons of this subject. Both figures gaze straight ahead with the expressions that could be interpreted as serious and thoughtful. They could be any mother and child if it were not for the golden halos around their heads, and the fact that Jesus is wearing a golden crown as a symbol of his status as "King of Kings".

The painting is worn and damaged in many places, but some areas, such as the faces and part of Mary's garment, appear relatively fresh and detailed. The colours are predominantly red, black, and flesh tones, with details highlighted with gold, some of which (over the folds of the clothing) is quite thick and not expertly applied, suggesting it may have been added later.

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