Paliochora.
Souyia (Syia).
CRETE
244
painter Ioakeim in 1347, is closely associated with Ioannis
Pagomenos’ tradition. At Spaniako, the cross-vaulted church
of Saint George features decoration by Ioannis Pagomenos
(early 14th c.). There are also the painted churches of Panagia
and of Aghia Marina.
356.
Temenia.
In the settlement of Lazopouliana at Temenia is the barrel-
vaulted, single-nave church of the Soter and additional domed
cross-in-square narthex of the contracted type. The original
church features decoration of the second half of the 13th c.
with strong Western influences.
357.
Rodovani
.
Rodovani village is near the ruins of the important ancient city
of Elyrus. Beneath the later church of Panagia, E of the village,
are the remnants of a three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica with
mosaic floors. In a secluded location is found the ruined and
reconstructed church of Panagia Kalomoiriani with decoration
of the late 13th c., an offering by Georgios Kantanoleos and
his wife Moscha. At Agriles stands the church of Saint Anne
with wall-paintings by Theodoros Daniel Veneris dating from
the late 13th c. At Tsiskiana is the church of Aghios Eutychios
with decoration of the mid-14th c.
358.
Souyia (Syia).
The village is on the site of the ancient city of Syia, which flour-
ished mainly in the Late Roman period. Beneath the contem-
porary church of Aghios Panteleimon a three-aisled basilica
with mosaic floors has been excavated. To its W the ruins of
three more basilicas have been detected. N of Souyia is the
domed, single-nave church of Aghia Irene, whose decoration
was executed in the second half of the 13th c. At Charei, E
of Souyia, the twin-naved church of Saint Anthony is located,
with wall-paintings dating from 1382-3 and the first half of the
15th c. At the site of the ancient city of Lissos, W of Souyia, sur-
vive the ruins of two three-aisled basilicas with transept. The
bema of the first has been taken over by the barrel-vaulted,
single-nave church of Panagia (14th c.) with embedded mar-
ble architectural elements from the basilica, while the bema of
Pagomenos, of Saint George (14th c.), and of Saint Anne with
built altar screen and wall-paintings of two periods. The E sec-
tion was decorated by a folk artist in the first half of the 14th c.
and the W in 1457. The church of Panagia (15th c.) features
prestigious decoration. In the village of Trachiniako, seat of
the Byzantine Trachinoi family, are the churches of Saint John
Theologos (1328-9) and of Prophet Elias with wall-paintings
by Ioannis Pagomenos, and the church of Aghia Paraskevi
frescoed by Ioannis Pagomenos and co-workers. At Lampiri-
ana is the single-nave church of Aghia Kyriake, with 15th c.
wall-paintings. At the secluded location Treis Ekklesies the
barrel-vaulted, single-nave church of Saint George was origi-
nally smaller and later expanded. Its masonry features Early
Christian spolia. The wall-paintings in its initial section are at-
tributed to Ioannis Pagomenos et al., while the W was painted
in the 15th c. The church of Archangel Michael at Kavalariana
was frescoed in 1327-8, also by Ioannis Pagomenos and his
team. Its opulent decoration includes portrayals of members
of the Melissourgoi and Kotzis families. At Kato Floria the
church of Saint George has wall-paintings of 1497 by painter
Georgios Provatopoulos, and at Apano Floria the Church of
the Holy Fathers displays decoration dating from 1462, the
work of Xenos Digenes from Mouchli.
355.
Paliochora
.
Paliochora is a small coastal town stretching around Fortezza
hill, near the natural harbour of Tigani. The rectangular for-
tress Castel Selino, built on the fortified hill in the 14th c., was
the seat of the Castellany of Selino and underwent many re-
constructions by the late 19th c. Its role was to control both
rebellious locals and the seaways to Africa. At Kountoura is
the decorated church of Aghioi Theodoroi (14th c.), the ruined
mid-14th c. church of Aghios Mamas, and at the Trochalou
site the church of Saint George with wall-paintings of the early
14th c. attributed to Ioannis Pagomenos. In the wider area of
the Pelekanos municipality are the church of Saint John at
Asfentiles with an interesting scene of the Second Coming by
Ioannis Pagomenos, the church of Aghios Zosimas at Ach-
ladiakes with mid-14th c. decoration, the cross-vaulted, twin-
naved church of Saints George and Nicholas, with scenes
from the life of Saint Nicholas and of the Second Coming in
the nave of Saint Nicholas, the work of Ioannis Pagomenos
(1323) and of an unnamed painter of the late 14th c. At Pro-
dromi are found the barrel-vaulted, single-nave churches of
Aghios Panteleimon (mid-14th c.), Saint George (second half
of the 14th c.), and Saints Peter and Paul (mid-14th c.), while
at the Skafidia site the church of Panagia, frescoed by the
