Holy Church of Saint George, Chroussa

Saint George is the main church of Chroussa, a mountainous village that belongs to the Municipality of Megalopolis. The name of the village appears in archival material from the Monastery of Aimyalon in Dimitsana, dating to 1707. According to an inscription on the western side of the church, its construction dates to 1811.

It is a small single-aisled basilica with a pitched wooden roof, which, despite its size and simple construction, features one of the finest carved wooden iconostases in the region, as well as a wooden ceiling with decoration of remarkable craftsmanship. The iconostasis, arranged in three sections, was constructed between 1811 and 1897 (the date when some of its icons were painted).

The wooden ceiling features five octagonal panels depicting the Pantokrator and the Evangelists, which were created between 1959 and 1961 by the Athonite monk Eugenios Rallidis.

Both the iconostasis and the wooden ceiling had suffered significant deterioration and bore clear traces of unsightly interventions, due to overpainting with modern varnishes. Their conservation and restoration, as well as that of the iconostasis icons, aimed not only at their protection but also at highlighting the artistic, historical, and religious significance of the church.

DONATION OF THE NON-PROFIT CIVIL COMPANY AEGEAS

• Conservation and restoration of the carved wooden iconostasis, the icons, and the wooden ceiling of the church.