Evangelistria Church
The church of Evangelistria is located in the Lower Town of Mystras, on the cobblestone road leading from the Metropolis to Vrontochi. It dates back to the late 14th century or early 15th century.
It is a small, two-pillar cruciform inscribed church with a dome, smaller than the other churches of the same type in Mystras. To the east, the temple ends in three apses (pentagonal in the middle and three-sided on the sides), distinguished by their brick-enclosed masonry system. On the south side of the narthex, a gallery is formed from where the staircase leading to the first floor begins. Also, west of the narthex, a vaulted room is constructed, which was probably an ossuary from a later period.
Internally, the church of Evangelistria is decorated with a built iconostasis, originally made of marble. The Beautiful Gate retains its surroundings, with western influences reminiscent of similar Venetian-type examples in Cretan temples, while the rich sculptural decoration is of particular interest. The few traces of frescoes that stand out on the dome and the Holy Altar do not, unfortunately, allow the reconstruction of the original pictorial programme of the church.
Finally, the church’s precinct served as a cemetery, while during the Turkish occupation, the church was not converted into a mosque, remaining in the hands of Christians.