Location
Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, Kefali
Kefali, Chania
Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, Kefali – Kefali, Chania
The Church of Christ the Savior is located in the cemetery of the village of Kefali, which belongs to the area known as the Nine Villages in the Kissamos region. It is a small, single-nave church with a vaulted roof, whose exterior form has been substantially altered by later interventions. The interior, however, preserves exceptionally valuable wall paintings dating to the early 14th century.
Description
Inside, the church preserves a complete painted program dated by inscription to the year 1320. In the semicircular conch of the apse appears Christ Pantokrator. Scenes from the Gospel cycle are arranged on the arch, while the lower zones of the walls are filled with numerous figures of saints. A distinctive feature of the decoration is a series of medallions depicting standing saints, among which the image of Saint Anne holding the young Virgin Mary is particularly notable.
Stylistic analysis points to the work of two independent workshops. The first repeats older models in a more popular, simplified manner. The second employs a more advanced pictorial language and clearly incorporates Western stylistic elements characteristic of its time. The walls also preserve numerous incised inscriptions, dates, and symbols—traces left by pilgrims and travelers who visited the site during the Middle Ages.
The church is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, celebrated on 6 August. Today it remains a quiet, modest monument of considerable iconographic value, forming an important element within the local sacred landscape of the Nine Villages area.
Location
Kefali, Chania
Coordinates: 35.36258, 23.59776