Church of Saint Nicholas Tzotzas, Apozari
In the parish of Saint Luke in Apozari you will spot the Church of Saint Nicholas Tzotzas, a small yet notable Byzantine church. It belongs to the type of the single-aisle timber-roofed basilica and is decorated with frescoes dating to the second half of the 14th century. During Ottoman rule, the church was extended to the south, while a narthex was added. Today, the exterior frescoes on the north side, which were once protected by an open portico, only survive in traces. The preserved fresco fragments reveal an organized arrangement of scenes and standalone figures that became established in single-aisle churches from the Komnenian period onward, characterized by structure and clear hierarchy. Their dense composition and simplistic framing aimed to establish balance and symmetry in each individual scene. This artistic approach provides valuable insights into the evolution of Kastoria’s local painting tradition within the broader artistic context of the 14th century.
