Church of Katapoliani

The Church of Panagia Katapoliani stands at the centre of the Katapola settlement, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and celebrated on 15 August. It is a single-aisled, barrel-vaulted church with a semicircular apse to the east. The lintel and two doorjambs come from an ancient building. Almost all interior surfaces are lime-plastered, except for a later wall-painting of the Virgin and Child (19th century). The bell tower above the entrance is striking, built with finely worked stones and marble elements from an ancient structure. In the surrounding area, several uninscribed bases survive, offering interesting historical evidence for Roman Katapola. The German archaeologist Ludwig Ross believed that the sanctuaries of Delian and Pythian Apollo lie near and beneath the church. The site had religious significance in antiquity.