Deliana.
Ai kyr-Yiannis.
CRETE
240
343. Malathyros, fortress (Μαλάθυρος, φρούριο)
341. Deliana, Saint John Prodromos (Δελιανά, Άγιος Ιωάννης
Πρόδρομος)
341.
Deliana.
In the Prodromos district there survives the barrel-vaulted,
single-nave church of Saint John Prodromos, an elongated
structure built on an older church of the same dimensions,
originally divided by a wall in the nave and narthex. In its inte-
rior, one of the blind arcades on the N wall was converted in
the 15th c. into an elaborate tomb for the nobleman Domenico
Venerio. In 1892 the opulent Late Gothic sculpted decoration
was transferred and skilfully used for the reconstruction of the
church’s N door. The wall-paintings of the main church date
from the second half of the 13th c. and those of the narthex
can be attributed to the early 14th c. painter Michael Veneris.
342.
Zymvragou.
In rural Zymvragou is found the barrel-vaulted, single-nave
church of Aghios Panteleimon (second half of the 14th c.),
completely covered in wall-paintings. In a deserted corner of
the village stands the church of the Soter (known as Aghia
Kyriake), decorated with wall-paintings dating to 1382. At Psil-
iana is the Evangelismos church with two 15th c. images.
343.
Malathyros.
On an elevation near Malathyros survives a large Mid-Byzan-
tine fortress that, by visually controlling a wide stretch of the
Gulf of Kisamos, played a key role in the fortification system
of Crete. It is of ellipsoidal shape and features the ruins of
12 semicircular towers, extensive sections of curtain wall, bul-
wark, cisterns and various other structures. Within the village
is the frescoed, single-nave church of Aghia Irene (15th c.). Of
higher quality is the decoration in the single-nave church of
Archangel Michael.
344.
Mouri.
Outside Mouri stands the cross-vaulted church of Saint Ni-
cholas with wall-paintings of the late 13th c. featuring Western
influences.
345.
Ai kyr-Yiannis.
In Ai kyr-Yiannis is a twin-naved church, earlier than the church
of Aghioi Ioannis Xenos and Eustathios, at the site of a large
Byzantine church. At a short distance stands the church of
Saint George, with high-quality decoration dating from the
14th c. In the nearby village of Kato Ai kyr-Yiannis is found a
church with wall-paintings attributable to the painter of the first
decades of the 14th c., Ioannis Pagomenos.
