Church

Church of Panagia Kera (Our Lady) in Kardouliano
This small church is located on the main provincial road from Kastelli to Apostoli As far as the architecture is concerned, it belongs to the type of a single – aisled arched church. Its frescoes, a sample of the folk art of the mid-14th century, are detached and transferred to the Historical Museum of Crete.

Church of Agios Georgios (St. George)
In the eastern part of the settlement Apostoloi, hidden among houses, lies the late Byzantine church of Agios Georgios, which has been the patron saint of the village for centuries.

This is a small, vaulted, one-room church, which was built over the ruins of an oldest building, probably in the first half of the 14th century. But the precise date of its construction has been unknown so far, as the inscription on the triangular lintel above the main entrance is so damaged that it is impossible to read it. The small church does not seem to vary much from other churches of the Venetian period with the same architecture and construction. However it has a perfect noise absorption system due to embedded clay pipes. Only two holes of this system are visible on the walls. It contributes to the reducing of the echo and improves the acoustics of the interior of the church.

The temple is also considered remarkable for its rich mural decoration that is maintained in a relatively good condition in the interior and it dates back to the early 14th century. The decoration includes scenes from the Gospel and in particular from the life of St. George. The most preserved one is the scene of the martyrdom of the wheel, which is painted on the north wall. The frescoes are samples of high-level art and they appear to derive their stylistic standards from Constantinopolitan traditions, as evidenced by the strong mobility and realistic expressions of the figures. Indeed, the scenes of the Passion of Christ on the north side of the arch better reflect this certain impact.

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Sklaverochori
This single – aisled arched church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary’s Admission, is located in the cemetery at the entrance of the village Sklaverochori. The church bears paintings of exceptional quality, as far as the degree of their maintenance is concerned, as well as the level of their artistic performance.

It is worth noticing in the Zone of the Saints, which is developed on the north wall of the church, a rare depiction of the Catholic St. Francis of Assisi, who appears only for three times in the churches of Crete.