Folklore
- Frescoes
Ioannis Pagomenos
Agios Dimitrios - Livadas
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Folklore
- Frescoes
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The church of AgiosDimitrios is located near the mouth of the Agia Eirini gorge. Behind the nearby tavern a dirt road leads up to Koustogerako. Aproximately 100 metres after the first sharp turn a rut to the right leads to the church. Today the church seems to be at a very desolate and inaccessible place, which probably also is the reason why it is called Chostos (the Hidden away). |
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In old days there has been a lot more traffic in the area below the church, as evidenced by the old bridge at the river. | |
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| The inscription, which today is almost unreadable, is situated on the northern wall. A researcher, however, has deciphered it and published it in a paper from the Ionian University in 2007. He believes that it can be read as: |
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| [...] θϋος [κ(αί)] παν[σεπτος να]ος [...] τ[... ενδό]ξου μαρτϋρος δημητρίου τ επίκλην) χωσ | holy and most sacred church of the honourable Dimitrios also named 'hidden away' | |
| [...]ς κ(αι) τ[...] κ(αι) [κό]που κ(αι) [μόχ]θου πολου θεωδόρ' [...] [θυγα]τρος [...] κ(αι) μανοηλ αμα σηνβιου του χηλά κ(αι) ιω(άννου) αμ | and and with great labour and much pain from Theodoros daughter and Manoil and his wife; from Chilas and Ioannis and ... | |
| [ ] ιω(άννου τ(ου) [...] ςεφάνου αμα σινβιου τ(ου) χηλά κ(αι) Γ[...] τ(ου) προτοκηνιγού αμα σην]βί(ου) του [ ] κ(αι) τυλ[... αμ]α σινβίου τ(ου) χηλά κ(αι) λεων τ(ου) | Ioannis Stefanos and his wife; from Chilas and G the best hunter and his wife . and tyl and his wife; from Chilas and Leon t | |
| [ ] τ(ου) τωλ . ς κ(αι) .αντωΝ(ίου) αμα σινβίου ιω(άννου σι[...] αμασιβίου [...] αθανασίου τ(ου) κ ... σ[...] τ(ου) φ...λε | tol .s and from Antonios and his wife; from Ioannis and his wife, from Athanasios and his wife le | |
| [Γρ]ηγορί(ου) τ(ου) Γαδανολε(ου) (μοναχού) κ(αι) κωνςα(ντίνου) αμασινβίου του χιλα [...] αμασινβίου , ςωκδ (6824 = 1316) | from the monk Grigorios Gadanoleon and Konstantinos and his wife; from Chilas and his wife, in the year 6824 (= 1316) | |
| [ αδ]ερφη ςωκ[δ...] | ... sister 6824 (= 1316) | |
| [...]ας τ(...) πετ(ο)κωπ(ού)λοσ. | as petokopoulos | |
| +ΗςΩΡΙΘΙ ΔΕ ΔΙΑ ΧΗ(ρός εμου του αμαρτωλού) ΙΩ(άννου) τ(ου) ΠΑΓΩΜ(ένου). | + IS PAINTED BY THE HAND of the sinner IOannis PAGOMenos. | |
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| As seen, it is rather difficult to deciphere the inscription. Furtermore Ioannis Spatharakis mentions in his book 'Dated Byzantine Wall Paintings of Crete' that the church may be from 1293, and therefore quite a lot of years before Pagomenos. |
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Christ
Pantocrator
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Never the less is the name of the monk Grigorios Gadanoleon mentioned in the inscription (he was also mentioned in Moni). | |
| The Ressurection of Christ in the choir's ceiling.
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| There are several indications that it is not Pagomenos, who was the painter of the church. In the ceiling you can notice an ornamentation, which is not found in other of his churches. |
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Several sceneries are painted in a way that do not look like Pagomenos'. Also the colours are different from the normal. |
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Another of Pagomenos' characteristic decorations are the gems (the white dots), and they are absent in this church. Also the characteristic knot on the tail of Agios Georgios' horse is missing. | |
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| Finally, are the letters of the inscription designed differently than usual. I therefore doubt that the church is decorated by Pagomenos. |
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Crucifixion
of Christ |
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