Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos

The Holy Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Anogi is a spacious basilica. Its remarkable icons of Saints and Angels, of rare artistry, were completed in 1680 by Antonios from Agrafa, an iconographer who reached his peak in the mid-seventeenth century. Five iconographic zones survive; part of the second zone, on the Western wall opposite the main entrance, recalls the mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna and the murals of the Meteora. Here, 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 and was later renovated with the aid of the ship-owner Panos Gratsos; the murals were preserved by Anastasios Koutsouris. Other features include a wooden Iconostasis from 1821 and clay jars built into the walls for acoustic resonance.