Church of Saint George in Artos
Northwest of the village Agios Konstantinos in Rethymnon province is the ruined village of Artos, which was destroyed by the Ottomans because of its revolutionary action. Access to the site is possible via a dirt road starting either from Agios Konstantinos or Zouridi. Today, three churches are preserved, of which Saint George (Agios Georgios) stands out.
Saint George in Artos is small, single-roomed and arched, like most Byzantine temples of the Cretan countryside, and bears a cross of round boards (pinakia) above its entrance. What makes it important, though, are the important frescoes inside which date back to 1401 and follow the Constantinople School of Hagiography.
The fresco program includes scenes from the life of Christ (such as Thomas, the Pentecost etc.) as well as scenes from the life of Saint George. Also the western wall is covered with the great scene of the Second Coming with the dance of the saints, and the sea and the earth personalized.
