The village of Pyrgi is famous, first and foremost, for the elaborate ‘Xysta’ decorations on many of its buildings. However, it also has other interesting sights, including a noteworthy—but not widely known—historical monument: the Church of the Holy Apostles.
A narrow, easily overlooked, archway leads from Pyrgi’s main square to this medieval treasure. Its first mention appears in a document from 1362 and, while the intervening centuries have left their marks on it, it is an example of late Byzantine church architecture that is certainly worth a visit.
The interior is painted in its entirety. An inscription on the north wall of the nave indicates that the paintings are from 1665 and were the work of one Antonios Kynegos, a Cretan artist.
The frescoes inside the dome are particularly well preserved.
The following three shots show a close-up of the altar area and the rich decorations of the side walls. Unfortunately, some of the plaster has fallen down over the years.
There is a side door which, once you have negotiated your way past the group of cats sitting on the other side – they clearly are used to being fed here – allows you to get round to the rear of the church.
The masonry shows obvious traces of past repair work, but overall the building as such seems to be in reasonably good shape for its age.
An excellent look at medieval Greece. It pays to wander!