Agios Dimitrios in Pourko

The church is on the Pourko settlement, between the village of Livadi and the Church of Agia Elesa. It is a complex of four temples, parallel and intersect on an axis, so they form a quadrilateral, with the entrance on the western side. The orientation is right only in the south and northeastern church, while the other two face towards the north. The churches are interconnected. The roof has two Kythira-type domes. The southern church is dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the northeastern to the Virgin Mary, the northern one to Saint Nicholas and the northwestern one to the Archangel Michael or to Saint Basil. This architectural quirk is unique and is probably the result of later additions and reconstructions. The northwestern church was built later. Architecturally, the southern church of Saint Demetrius is of a single-space type with a dome, with a two-fold sanctum with semi-cylindrical arches. It also includes a byzantine winged altarpiece. The northeastern church is of single-space type, arched with a semi-cylindrical arch and a winged altarpiece, which was built later. The northwestern church is of single-space type, with a Kythira-type dome, arches and a two-fold sanctum with semi-cylindrical arches. There are three layers of byzantine frescos, the third being well preserved. The second one was created by the painter Demetrius in the northern church at a time where frescos were limited. The inscription states “Built and painted, this holy church for Saint Nicholas… and painted by Demetrius, the holy servant archdeacon from Monvemvasia…”. There are post-Byzantine representations in the winged altarpieces. The Byzantine layers are dated between the early 13th century and the early 14th century.