The church bearing the
name "Naos Metamorphoseos tou Sotiros" (a church dedicated to the
Transfiguration Of Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ) or of Agia Sotira, as the
locals use to call it, is built on a hilltop that is surrounded by pine trees
and vines, on the outskirts of the village, on a location with a panoramic view
to the Corinthian Gulf. The church has been built in three stages and was
finally completed in 1938.
The church is
cross-shaped, with a single nave and a roof covered with tiles. The walls are built of rebated
tuff which can be found in the area, it has single hung arch-top windows with
wooden casings. The ceiling is made of wood and is decorated with a painting that
depicts Christ Pantocrator (Christ Almighty) and the Four Evangelists. The
iconostasis (wooden panel before the altar) in the interior of the temple is
made of carved wood, using a flattened mid-relief technique that borders the
icons. The icon depicting the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is a piece of art
of the 20th century and is covered in pure silver with gold-plated details. In
this church, there are still today some built-in sculptures of great artistic
value that once were part of the Byzantine temple of the 9th century.
The earthquake of 1981
caused severe cracks to the church's walls. Fortunately, it has been restored
by experienced craftsmen and today it constitutes a protected monument of the
village. North of the church, on a lower level, one can find an independent,
two storied tuff church tower that is estimated to date from since 1889. The
Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is celebrated on August 6th.
In the night, the church and nearby buildings are
illuminated so as to create a beautiful night landscape. Indeed, the church can
be seen from Trikalochoria to Xylokastro.