Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos

The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Anogi, Ithaca, is a spacious basilica. Its remarkable icons, of rare artistry, are the work of Antonios from Agrafa. An inscription on the stone iconostasis records that he completed them in 1680. The church contains five iconographic zones; part of the second zone, on the western wall opposite the main entrance, has been compared to the mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna and the murals of Meteora. In this zone, images of Constantine the Great and St Helen flank the Cross of Lorraine. The murals are in the Epirotic style with influences from the Cretan School. The church suffered serious damage in the earthquakes of 1953. It was later renovated with the aid of the Ithacan ship-owner Panos Gratsos, and the murals were preserved by the artist and restorer Anastasios Koutsouris.