Church of St Theodoros (Mavronoros)

The construction of the church of Sts Theodoroi dates, based on local tradition, back to 1806. It is a three-aisled vaulted basilica with a semicircular arch in the sanctuary and an elevated narthex-gynaeconite to the west. The apse is built in a more diligently way, where blind arches with Islamizing ones are formed. The church has three entrances, on the north, west and south walls respectively while the last one has a human form with a stone carving border.

The burning of the church by the Germans during the Axis Occupation period caused extensive damage both inside and outside the building and had as an effect the loss of most of the murals, moving images, the belfry in the northwest corner, the open gallery in the west and south side and the stone-carved inscription above the south entrance.

According to a written inscription on the inside part of the church, close to the south entrance, its painting process was completed on October 26, 1852, at the expense of the locals. Today exist only the murals in the sanctuary and the most part of the full-length saints on the north and south walls. Special paintings can be considered as the depictions of military saints, as well as the apostles Peter and Paul holding a model of the church. The artwork of the anonymous painter of Sts Theodoroi is characterized by the intense color contrasts with the alternation of warm and cold tones and the extensive use of decorative motifs in the clothing, which imitate the fabrics among that period’s fashion. The church also preserves a remarkable painted and partly gilded wood-carved iconostasis.

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Accessibility: Due to a short staircase the church is not accessible for those in a wheelchair or with mobility difficulties.