Νεότερα για τον ναό του Αϊ Στράτηγου (Ταξιάρχη) παρά την Καστανιά της Μεσσηνιακής Μάνης

Abstract

The Ai-Stratigos church near Kastania was initially identified as a cross-vaulted building of the A1 variant dating to the thirteenth century. However, the recent restoration project brought to light new evidence indicating that the church was domed. The dedicatory inscription, which was discovered at the south portico, provides a dating right before the year 1194, i.e. the time when the mural decoration was completed. Among the wall-paintings, the representation of the anthropomorphic Holy Trinity is extremely interesting. The church under discussion is one of the earliest examples of specific experimentations in architectural design that would become more common during the next century.