Must-seeUNESCO
Stavros tou Agiasmati Church
One of the ten painted churches of Troodos on the UNESCO list
The story
This late fifteenth-century Church of the Holy Cross stands in the Pitsilia area, in the east of the Troodos Mountains. It was once the main church of a monastery, of which only traces of the cells remain. According to the inscription above the entrance, it was built at the expense of the priest Petros Peratis and his wife Pepani, but the exact year it was built is unknown. The paintings are generally thought to have been finished in 1494. Their painter, Philippos Goul, combined the late Byzantine manner with the influence of the Italian Renaissance. A tall wooden roof with tiles hangs over the walls and shelters the church on all sides: there is nothing else like it in Cyprus. Since 1985 the church has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
This is one of the ten painted churches of Troodos on the UNESCO World Heritage list (nine were inscribed in 1985, the tenth in 2001). The painted churches of Troodos are one of the three UNESCO sites in Cyprus, along with Paphos and Choirokoitia.
Visiting
Entry is free. Usually open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays and public holidays. Summer and winter hours differ, so check them before you go. Drive there via Platanistasa.
Photos
Sources
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus — Church of Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) tou Agiasmati, Platanistasa
- Department of Antiquities of Cyprus — UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism (visitcyprus.com) — Timios Stavros tou Agiasmati Church
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