Holy Spirit – Limnakaro

In the center of the Limnakaro plateau, we encounter the Church of the Holy Spirit, which attracts a large crowd during its feast day. In its current form, the church is a double-aisled (díkliros) structure, but the two aisles were built in different historical periods. Initially, the church was a cross-vaulted (stauropístegos) structure and was dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior. However, in 1875, the second aisle, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, was added. Today, the church is known worldwide as the Church of the Holy Spirit.

The aisle dedicated to the Transfiguration still retains its original fresco decorations to this day, in contrast to the later aisle dedicated to the Holy Spirit, which lacks frescoes. The existence of frescoes dating back to the first half of the 14th century is a mystery. The reason for this is that during that period, the Lasithi Plateau was closed off, and according to a decree from the Venetians, settlement in the area was prohibited. Therefore, during those years, the Lasithi Plateau was deserted, and there is no other church in the surrounding villages that features frescoes, a practice that had become widespread in Crete during those times. The church in Limnakaro is the only one with frescoes, making it unique and leaving a significant unanswered question for historians.