Saint George Sfakiotis church at Diavaide
In the lush green location Atsipades above the village Diavaide in the province Pediada and close to Kastelli, is the church of Saint George (Agios Georgios) Sfakiotis, which has been built on a "sanctified" well, the mouth of which is located outside the temple, while it is decorated with a relief representation of Saint George riding a horse.
The interior of the church bears frescoes by a provincial painter in very good condition dating to the late 13th and early 14th centuries. During maintenance works on the frescoes, a founding inscription of 1390 was revealed, where, among other things, it writes"... in the village Diavaide...". The iconographic program features scenes from the Gospel cycle and 12 scenes about Saint George. The north wall includes the large scene of Deesis.
The fresco that makes the biggest impression, however, is the representation on the south wall of Saint George and Saint Demetrius, who cross a sea on horseback, while at the feet of their horses, there are octopuses, crabs, morays, lobsters, and stonefish, while the spot is located in the mountainous hinterland of Crete. Although the sea is associated with the miraculous rescue of a young prisoner with the horse of Saint George, the corresponding depiction of Saint Demetrius is not understood.
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