Saint Stephen – The oldest “Last Judgment” in Greece
Between the neighborhoods of Apozari and Dolcho, Saint Stephen stands proudly on a rise. This three-aisled basilica, with its elevated clerestory and rich brickwork decoration—an extremely old church dating back to the 9th century—conceals a unique treasure inside: the oldest depiction of the Last Judgment in all of Greece. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the church was renovated and redecorated with wall paintings. Particularly noteworthy is the two-story narthex with the women’s gallery, the only one to include a small chapel dedicated to Saint Anne, known as the “askitarion” (hermitage). Because of the aforementioned hermitage, the use of the space for burials, and the presence of a synthronon, it is believed that Saint Stephen was once a monastic site.
