Location information

Church of Panaghia Kera

KRITSA (Small town) AGIOS NIKOLAOS
The original aisleless church with cupola was built in the 13th century and it was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin.
The other aisles were added in the next century and the church was repaired.
Today the church has three aisles and a cupola. The central aisle is decorated with frescoes dating in the 13th century. The side aisles are posterior; the northern is dedicated to St Antonius and the southern to St Anne: both of them were decorated with frescoes in the 14th century. The church's iconographic programs are extremely interesting, starting with the archaic style in the first layer of frescoes and continuing with the Paleologan style in the latter. Works of restoration, consolidation and tidying up are carried out.
The church receives daily many visitors.

This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains images.

Hellenic Ministry of Culture WebPage
• http://www.culture.gr/2/21/212/21213n/e212mn02.htm... (2 img.)

  Just before the village of Kritsa there is the famous church of the Panagia Kera. This thirteenth century Byzantine church which is important because of its frescoes, has three aisles and a dome construction. Each aisle contains paintings from a different period, representing a different religious theme. The central aisle, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, contains the oldest paintings which reflect a mixture of styles. The south aisle has the best-preserved paintings. In contrast to the more stylized paintings of the period, these paintings display a tenderness and humanity in their rendering of the story of Anna, the Virgin Mary's mother. The north aisle is dedicated to St. Anthony and has pictures representing the Second Coming.
Although the Venetians occupied Crete during the period, they allowed the Cretans to decorate their churches as they desired. The rare fresco techniques used and the subject matters make the Panagia Kera particularly interesting to visit.

This extract is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.

Crete TOURnet WebPage
• http://www.crete.tournet.gr/Site.jdp?ID=99 (5 img.)

• http://www.dilos.com/location/11427 (1 img.)

Agios Ioannis Prodromos late byzantine church

  Ιn the Kritsa area is the cemetery church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos dated 1370.

Crete TOURnet WebPage
• http://www.crete.tournet.gr/Site.jdp?ID=422 (2 img.)

Agios Georgios byzantine church

  Agios Georgios containing remains of frescoes of the thirteenth century.

Crete TOURnet WebPage
• http://www.crete.tournet.gr/Site.jdp?ID=423 (1 img.)

Panagia Odigitria