Saint Nikon is the patron saint of Sparta, and his large church is the town's spiritual landmark. It was designed by the architect Anastasios Orlandos, begun in 1929 and consecrated in 1955.
The interior was painted between 1959 and 1963 by Evangelos Mavrikakis, a student of Fotis Kontoglou. On 26 November the town celebrates the saint's feast with great ceremony.