Saint George Tzeneralidon church at Xidas
Very close to the settlement of Xidas, today called Lyttos after the nearby ancient town Lyttos, we meet the church of Saint George (Agios Georgios) at position Tzeneralidon (there is also the church of Saint George inside the archaeological site of Lyttos). The temple is built in a beautiful natural location close to the fountain Generali, overlooking a green creek and surrounded by tall cypresses.
The church is single-aisled with an impressive entrance framed by relief decoration. Above the entrance there are five cross-shaped circular plates (called pinakia). Its interior preserves frescoes of the early 14th century (1321), as mentioned by the inscription on the west wall. It belongs to a group of 14th-century temples where Palaeologean art has been introduced, with the main character being the plastic rendering of the figures and the vivid movement in the compositions.
The rich fresco decoration includes scenes from the Evangelical circle, military saints and other saints (eg Saints Ten) and twelve scenes from the life of Saint George that start and end in the sanctuary. Among the scenes of Saint George, we can see Saint George and the Dragon (usually found on the side walls), the scene sharing his possessions with the poor and his burial.
