Church of the Three Saints
In the Mitropoleos district, near Omonia Square, you will spot the Church of the Three Saints, dedicated to Saints Gurias, Samonas, and Abibus. It is a single-aisle, timber-roofed basilica featuring a three-sided apse on the eastern side and a later open arched portico along both the southern and northern sides. The interior of the church was originally adorned with frescoes, which were later covered with whitewash — most likely in the wake of the liberation from Ottoman rule. Traces of fire are visible on the exterior masonry, indicating that the church had burned at some point. This event likely led to the plastering and whitewashing of its surfaces, which concealed the original painted decoration. Later conservation efforts revealed parts of the fresco program, including figures of saints and the church’s dedicatory inscription — according to which, the interior frescoes date to 1401. The frescoes on the exterior surfaces are also attributed to the same period.
This painted ensemble follows the anti-classical trend of the late Palaiologan period, reflecting the evolution of Kastoria’s artistic tradition in the early 15th century. During your visit, the surviving sections will allow you to appreciate the dynamism and distinctive features of this artistic phase, which connects local artistic production with the broader trends of the Byzantine world.
