At the plain of Tagaia, between the villages of Chalki and Monitsa, at a location filled with olive trees and fruit-bearing trees, survives one of the most important Byzantine monuments of Naxos, the church of Agios Georgios Diasoritis.
It was constructed in the 11th century over the ruins of an ancient temple and belongs to the architectural type of the simple cross-in-square, four-columned church with a dome, which is not common in Naxos. Its walls are built by uncarved stones and its dome is supported by four built pillars instead of columns, elements that characterize the island architecture. On its western side there is a narthex that was constructed later, in the Byzantine period. It is covered with a barrel-vault and at its two edges survive two empty tombs with arcosolia. On its southeastern corner, at a miniature representation of Agios Efstathios, there is an inscription with the prayer of a Byzantine official, protospatharios Ioannis. During the Venetian occupation, they added the bell tower, with the characteristic pointed arch which refers to western architectural standards.
The interior of the church is richly decorated with excellent quality wall paintings, which constitute one of the most important set of icons all over Greece. They are characterized by the calmness of the figures with the characteristic big eyes, the richness of the colors and the originality of the rendition of the themes. The icons depict mostly the figures of saints, with dominant Agios Georgios, Archangel Michael and John the Baptist, while the complex representations are less in number. They date from the second half of the 11th century and must have been renovated in the 13th century. The narthex is also decorated with wall paintings. Here the dominant theme is the Second Coming, an element that emphasizes the burial character of the area. They belong to different periods and the older one date from the 13th century. The church had an elegant marble screen, from which relief panels and capitals have been found.
Informations
Additional
Date:
11th century
Season:
Byzantine
Holy Metropolis:
Thera, Amorgos and the Islands
Under the Supervision of:
Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades
Address:
Rachi
