Location
Church of Prophet Elijah, Trachiniakos
Trachiniakos, Chania
Church of Prophet Elijah, Trachiniakos – Trachiniakos, Chania
The Church of Prophet Elijah in Trachiniakos is a small, single-nave chapel situated on a rise above the former settlement. Together with the neighbouring churches of Agia Paraskevi and Agios Ioannis, it forms a modest sacral ensemble that reflects the strong religious tradition of the area. The building dates to the fourteenth century, and its interior preserves traces of frescoes characteristic of the workshop of Ioannis Pagomenos.
Description
The church of Profitis Ilias in Trachiniakos stands on a gentle slope overlooking the Kandanos valley. It is a typical example of a late Byzantine rural chapel: a single-nave stone structure ending in a semicircular apse and a simple façade. Its architecture, though austere, blends naturally into the landscape of Selino — a region with a rich sacral tradition and a deep attachment to its local saints.
The interior of the church is now in a state of partial ruin. Only fragments of the former painted decoration survive on the walls, yet they reveal the characteristic modelling of figures and compositional layout known from the works of the Pagomenos school. The frescoes likely depicted scenes from the life of Prophet Elijah as well as elements of the Christological cycle.
The surroundings of the church have remained almost unchanged for centuries: a low stone wall, a few old olive trees, and the quiet broken only by the wind coming down from the mountains. Despite its deterioration, the chapel remains a clear testament to the intense religious life of Trachiniakos in the fourteenth century and to the development of local painting workshops during the period of Venetian Crete.
Location
Trachiniakos, Chania
Coordinates: 35.32931, 23.72836