Church of Saints George and Nicholas

Saints George and Nicholas in Garipas — the church without a roof Garipas lies at the northern exit of the Therissano gorge, surrounded by orange groves and spreading plane trees. The double-naved church of Saints George and Nicholas stands right by the road — or rather, only half of it still stands. The western nave, dedicated to Saint George, still has its walls. The eastern nave, Saint Nicholas, is practically rubble. Neither nave has had a roof for a long time. The frescoes have been exposed to sun, rain and wind for decades. And yet something remains. In the apse of the western nave — outlines of scenes, red framing bands between zones. In the eastern apse — more: in the conch a large figure with a halo, below a band of hierarchs in liturgical vestments, flanking figures on either side. On the exterior wall, with no protection whatsoever — the outline of an equestrian scene, fading a little more with each passing year. Lassithiotakis wrote only the dedication next to this church. Nothing more. Nobody knows when it was built, nobody knows who painted it. On the altar stand icons, plastic flowers, a candle. Someone still comes here. To a ruin, under open sky, with frescoes that nobody conserves and that disappear year by year.