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The Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Meronas)

Monasteries and Churches

Rethymnon

The church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located in the settlement of Merona, in the province of Amari. It is a mountainous village, which spreads on a verdant slope, overlooking Psiloritis and the fertile valley of Amari, and where several churches of the Venetian era are located.
The church of Panagia, in the centre of the settlement, is a three-aisled domed basilica. The original phase of the church, mainly based on its fresco decoration, dates back to the second half of the 14th century. It is likely that the nave and the north aisle, which is dedicated to St. George, were built at that time. The south aisle, dedicated to the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, was added later, around the 16th century, at a time when the tradition of frescoed churches was beginning to die out in Crete.
The church of Panagia has frescoed decoration in its nave and north aisle and is one of the most interesting frescoes of the second half of the 14th century in Crete. The church belonged to the Kallergis family, as coats of arms of the family are found embedded in the exterior of the church and among the frescoes inside. The Kallergides were one of the most famous and powerful Greek families of the time, and it is likely that they themselves had invited a painter from Constantinople to paint the church.
In terms of iconography, the nave is arranged with themes from the Christological cycle, such as the Nativity, the Transfiguration, the Baptism, the Crucifixion, as well as representations from the Life of the Virgin Mary, to whom the nave is dedicated. In the north aisle there are scenes from the Synaxarium of St. George and the Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament.
Technotropically, in the frescoes of the monastery we can see the penetration of the idealistic painting of the mid-14th century, in the correct perception and organization of the human form, in the organic structure of the compositions, in the tight molding of the face, in the use of vivid colors. An example of the same style is the magnificent portable icon of the Virgin of Hodegetria, which is in the church and which was probably a tribute to the Kallergites. Finally, the wooden carved iconostasis of the temple and its icons, a typical example of the folk tradition of the 19th century, are interesting.

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