Location
Church of Saint Anne, Anisaraki
Anisaraki, Chania
Church of Saint Anne, Anisaraki – Anisaraki, Chania
The Church of Saint Anne in Anissaraki, in the wider area of Kandanos in Crete, is an outstanding example of late Byzantine / medieval sacred art and architecture in the Selino region—a site that, despite its small scale, contains one of the richest ensembles of 15th-century Cretan frescoes. Situated in a village typical of southwestern Crete, characterized by a quiet, agricultural way of life, the church brings together local folk tradition, painting of high artistic value, and an active cultic function, all set within the austere mountain landscape of Selino. Its presence serves as a reminder that even remote corners of Crete were, in the Middle Ages, places of artistic and spiritual significance, and that the inhabitants of rural valleys invested in their churches with seriousness, commitment, and genuine talent.
Description
The church was decorated with frescoes dated to the years 1457–1462, which makes it one of the most significant centers of wall painting in the region. The iconostasis features representations of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint George, and Joachim, as well as an exceptionally rare depiction of Saint Anne nursing Mary—a motif that is both distinctive and infrequently encountered in Christian iconography. The frescoes are relatively well preserved and attest to the high artistic standards of the local workshop.
From an architectural perspective, the church belongs to the single-nave or small basilica type typical of rural Cretan churches during the Venetian period. Nevertheless, its interior decoration and cultic context elevate it well above the level of an average village church. The church at Anissaraki functioned as a center of the local community and a place of pilgrimage, as evidenced by the richness of its decorative program—usually a feature associated with larger settlements.
The location of the small village of Anissaraki in the Kandanos–Selino province reflects the character of this part of Crete: mountainous valleys, isolated settlements, and a network of small churches scattered among olive groves and terraced fields. The Church of Saint Anne thus forms part of a broader sacred landscape focused on local faith and artistic expression—often overlooked in guidebooks, yet highly valued by scholars.
The building remains an active place of worship and can be visited, although conditions for visitors are modest, which only adds to the site’s authenticity. Attention should be paid not only to the painted decoration, but also to the stone construction, proportions, the light entering through the windows, and the fact that the church stands almost untouched within the rural Cretan landscape.
For any catalog of Cretan monuments, the Church of Saint Anne in Anissaraki is an essential entry—not only because of the date and quality of its decoration, but also because of its context: a preserved and meaningful 15th-century rural church in a region that is frequently marginalized in tourist literature.
Location
Anisaraki, Chania
Coordinates: 35.33157, 23.75572