Church of the Holy Spirit

At the centre of the Limnakaros Plateau, 1,150 metres up, stands the Church of the Holy Spirit, a small stone double temple dedicated to the Holy Spirit and the Transfiguration of the Saviour. Its two aisles were built in different eras. The original, cross-roofed aisle was dedicated to the Transfiguration; in 1875 a second aisle was added for the Holy Spirit. Restoration work completed at the end of the 20th century revealed remarkable frescoes in the Transfiguration aisle, dating to the first half of the 14th century. This is a mystery: the Venetian authorities had banned habitation on the Lassithi Plateau at that time, so no other church there bears murals. The frescoes were whitewashed for years. Today the church draws believers from across Crete, notably on Good Friday for the ritual of the Holy Spirit Epitaph.