Church of Agios Spyridon (St. Spyridon)

This church, situated on Athenas square, dates from the first years of the rule of the Knights of the Order of St. John. It was then that the original structure, much older, underwent a series of alterations. Out of the various frescoes decorating the church’s interior, one tends to distinguish the representation of the Mother of God and St. John (early 16th century), flanked by two male figures in a posture of prayer. A close scrutiny of the inscriptions next to their faces reveals their names: this is a certain Andreas and one Georgios – presumably a father and son – who financed part of the decoration of the church.
As the name of the saint to which this church was originally dedicated remains unknown, it was the 4th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities that, by way of a process similar to the one adopted for the designation of the churches of Agios Artemios, Agia Kyriaki ea., decided to attribute a patron saint to this church. During the Ottoman rule, this church was converted into a mosque, having functioned under the name of “Kavakli Mescit”.