A cultural gem of the 1650’s lies in the heart of East Pelion.
Hey travellers!
Are you looking for a holiday destination that includes amazing Greek beaches, delicious Greek food, (Greek) history, local architecture, religions, or all of the above?
Because, if you are, you definitely don’t want to miss Kissos, a traditional village in East Pelion, Greece. And not only that, but you definitely don’t want to miss paying a visit to its unique church of Agia (Saint) Marina, the jewel not only of Kissos village, but of the whole of the Pelion region. In fact, the temple is a testament to the central role that Kissos once played in the region and in Greece, as pilgrims from Konstantinople and Russia used to travel here to pay their respects and declare their faith in the temple.
Agia Marina, which was initially built in 1650 while Greece was under the Ottoman yoke, is a protected monument of Greek Heritage. Judging from its large size, its 3-nave design and its position right at the centre of the village, it looks like it was built with the Turks’ consent. This is fairly unusual, as they did not normally allow the construction of such “fancy” churches, so as for their own ottoman temples not to appear overshadowed. It is a three-nave church, (three aisles) which used to be dedicated to 3 Saints,the North aisle to Saint George, the middle one to Saint Marina and the South to Athanasios the Great. This is no longer the case, though, as the church is now only dedicated to Saint Marina.
Inside there are 4 domes, covered in impressive frescoes depicting -from the entrance and towards the altar- Saint Marina, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, and God in the form of a wise old man. It should be noted that the last depiction of God is extremely rare in religious frescoes (it is apparently frowned upon) and can only be found in extremely few cases, such as Michelangelo’s Capella Sixtina. Those, and more frescoes decorating the walls and pillars of the church were all created by the renowned local painter of the time, Giannis Pagonis. The painter depicted religious scenes taken from the lives of Saints and was inspired not only by the Apocalypse, the Old and the New Testament, but also by themes straight from Natural history and Geography, as the church also served as a “secret school” (kryfo scholio) under the Turkish occupation. The three naves (aisles) are separated by two lines of pillars, made of chestnut tree trunks, plaster-coated and decorated with geometrical shapes.
The church was thoroughly renovated in 1745 and in 1864 with money raised by Kissos sailors. That’s also how new schools and public buildings were built to serve the community at the time.
The gilded altarpiece is by far the most elaborate and sophisticated in all of the Pelion churches. In fact, it is a baroque-style masterpiece of sculpture, created by charismatic artists from Epirus and made of basswood, which is soft and easy to carve and also resilient to the test of time. The construction began in 1720 and legend says it took 60 years to finish. In 1793 it was gilded and it is safe to make the assumption that this gold was extracted nearby, at the gold and silver mine of Kissos, which proved most profitable at the time.
If you take a closer look at the altar, you will discern animal figures, such as birds, peacocks symbolising Pride, doves symbolizing Peace and octopuses and shells symbolising Fast, a very important aspect of the Orthodox religion. Here and there you will discover certain openings in the altar, which were deliberately left there to allow the light from the windows behind the altar to shine through, creating the so-called “chiaro-scuro” effect. You will notice the Mermaid from ancient Greek Mythology, standing over the central gate and turning any evil that approaches into stone with her gaze, as well as birds with oil lamps hung from their beaks. Also, Jesse, Virgin Mary’s ancestor can be spotted lying and resting above the Sacred Gate at the centre of the altarpiece, right under the icon of Virgin Mary, signifying the roots of her family tree.
If you find yourself in Pelion on the 17th July, you don’t miss the panegyri of Agia Marina, a day of celebrations filled with traditional music, singing, dancing, local wine and lots of Pelion food and delicacies. You’ll take a peek into the lives of the locals and they’re bound to make you feel like one of them!
Awards
