Church

The twin-naved church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) and the Ascension of the Lord is built on a steep site in the location Gourni 1km west from Stavros village and 10km north of Ierapetra Town. 

The church was apparently a Catholicon of a monastery, of which today extensive construction relics can be seen on ground level. The original church is the southern aisle, dedicated to the Assumption, measuring 6.00 x 7.50 metres. It belongs to the type of barrel-vaulted church with a supporting arch (sfendonio).

Typologically similar but without a sfendonio is the northern aisle added in a second building phase, probably in the 16th century. At the same time a vaulted narthex, common to both churches, was constructed. In the third construction phase, after the collapse of the narthex, the large arched communication openings on the western wall of the two aisles were walled up and normal doors were formed instead.

Frescoes are maintained only in the church of Panagia. The iconographic program comprises two modules: the highly compact Christological cycle that dominates the eastern part with a big depiction of the Ascension, and the extensive Marian cycle developed in the west. Five scenes can be discerned from this cycle at present (Prayer of Joachim and Anna, Birth, Flattery, Assumption). Despite the significant damages, we can distinguish a particularly competent artist, who represents a very mature artistic style of the 15th century.

Kentri is a village in the municipality of Ierapetra. It is built amphitheatrically on a hill 50m height from the surface of the sea, in the Centre of the Plains of ierapetra and is 3 km from the city.

Historical sources for the Sting have from 1369. The first name of the village was Katsogianni, then pararreonta Kedrio from Kedri River, Kentri during and from 1930 until today called Kentri.

Kentri is one of the four largest pottery centres in Crete of the last 100 years. It was the famous village of stamnadwn. Until the mid-20th century have worked twenty or so pottery shops, which employed almost half of all families in the village. In the period 1950-1970 there was a bloom of pottery production. In the 1970s, the potters have left their work, due to the appearance of cheap and aluminum or plastic utensils.

Today the profession of the Potter has disappeared and the pitchers no longer belong in kentriana history. The inhabitants engaged in agriculture and especially in greenhouse crops. The village maintains its narrow roads and although it has been renovated with the rebuilding of many new homes, there is the feeling of the old picturesque village with its small square, coffeeshops and asbestomenes neighborhoods.

The visitor can walk the streets, visit the small churches of the previous century, to drink his coffee or raki with delicious homemade snacks in the coffee shops of the square, to participate in festivals of Agia Triada, Agia Paraskevi, even to visit the village's elementary school built in 1929 at the top of the Hill , in "Kale", as it is called. The view from there is impressive. View panoramic kampos of ierapetra in the villages, in the South, the town of ierapetra and in depth the vastness of the Libyan Sea that crashes from the beautiful touch of the island of Chrissi.

In the West the Church of Agios Dimitrios where around there until early last century survived the lepers of Lasithi, before transferred to Spinalonga. The Cultural Association of the village, which for years now has been active with the aim of promoting culture and beautification of the village, has set a new target viewing but also the revival of pottery tradition of Kentri

ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΟΥ ΙΕΡΑΠΕΤΡΑΣ

ΝΗΠΙΑΓΩΓΕΙΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΟΥ