Saint George of Omorfokklisia – The wooden relief believed to be miraculous
The roughly 20-kilometer journey from Kastoria is well worth it to see Saint George of Omorfokklisia up close—a church that is a monument of harmony, delicacy, and aesthetic grace. To the original 12th-century building, of the cross-in-square type with a narthex, a larger narthex was added shortly afterward, incorporating the freestanding bell tower, while arcaded porches with chapels were created on both sides. Restorations of the church, which once served as the katholikon of a monastery, revealed fragments of its original wall paintings, which you can witness alongside the superb 13th-century scenes across the newer narthex. You will be particularly impressed by the life-sized wooden relief of Saint George, believed to be miraculous—a remarkable work of art from the late 13th century, tied to a deeply rooted folk tradition: it is said that if you press a coin against it while making a wish and the coin remains stuck instead of falling, your wish will come true. It is worth giving it a try.
