The church of Agioi Asomatoi near Vafes and Vrises on the island of Crete

This church is situated in the Apokoronas not far from the village of Vrisses. In Vrisses take the exit to Vafes and follow the road for a couple of kilometers. On your right hand side you will than see the brown sign pointing to the church of Agioi Asomatoi. You walk down the stairs to reach this Venetian church. The church of Agioi Asomatoi (council of the archangels) is dated to the 15th century. It is a small single-aisled church. Its type is very common on Crete during the Venetian period (1211 - 1669). A particular feature of the church is the decoration of its interior. Instead of the usual scenes of the life of Christ and representations of saints, the entire interior of the church is covered with geometrical patterns. The church of Agioi Asomatoi was built on the ruins of an older single-aisled church, which dates to the 6th - 7th century A.D. Parts of the walls and the floor of the first church were revealed during the excavation, as well as the base of the altar. The remains of a second aisle were unearthed north of the older church. This aisle is also dated to the 6th - 7th century A.D. Graves were excavated east and west of the church, some of them containing small jugs. These objects were common offerings to the dead in that period. Northeast of the church were found the remains of a building with three rooms, which is also dated to the 6th - 7th century A.D. So far the excavation in the area has produced a significant number of finds such as a group of vessels (jugs, a cup and a lamp), a small bronze buckle in the shape of a cross and a small double-column with an inscription referring to Bisshop Epiphaneios.