Church of the Holy Trinity of Divri

The Holy Church of the Holy Trinity is located in the cemetery of the village of Dibri, in the district of Grustades or Apano Mahalas, in a settlement with a long post-Byzantine history. It is the oldest monument of the village and the wider mountainous eastern Ilia. The dating of the temple is placed from the 14th century, during the Palaeologian period when its construction is determined, to the period of the Turkish occupation. The temple type belongs to an idiosyncratic variant of the dome cruciform inscribed with a narthex and three semi-cylindrical arches to the east. It has simple facades with the architectural decoration limited to three serrated bands. The temple is in relatively good condition following restoration work carried out on the monument in the 1960s.

The monument preserves its mural decoration, in which two layers can be distinguished: the original, which is preserved in good condition, belongs to the late Byzantine times (14th century), while the second to the post-Byzantine (period of Turkish rule). From the frescoes of the church, scenes stand out such as: the Virgin as enthroned Infant between angels (central arch) and as Blachernitissa (on the sides), the Society of the Apostles, Collaborating hierarchs and Melismus, the Advent and Genesis from the Theotokos cycle, the Divine Passion, the martyrdoms of the Saints, performances from the extended cycle of the Twelve and the cycle of the Divine Passion, zones with full-length saints, saints, ascetics and warriors, etc.

Copyediting:

Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia