Byzantium (330-1429 AD) was the next phase of Roman history that was shaped under the dominant influence of the religious doctrine of Christianity, the Greek language and with the ancient Greek culture playing a large role. Crete was under Byzantine rule from 330, when Constantinople became the capital of the Roman Empire, until 1204, with breaks, when the island was captured by the Franks and it was sold to the Venetians.
The Cretans embraced Christianity and despite the many conquerors with different religions, they kept their faith and expressed it through their art in their churches and chapels in the Byzantine and post-Byzantine period. The architecture, the frescoes, the portable icons are hidden treasures, and are often found in fragile ruins. The explosion of this art took place in the 14th and 15th centuries with the Cretans developing their own style in icons and frescoes, with strong contours, dark flesh color, strong color in clothing, thin, austere forms with restrained movement.
There are over 1000 frescoed Byzantine churches in Crete, 249 of which, are in the prefecture of Chania, and 130 are in the province of Selinos. Kantanos, the richest village in the area, is considered a Byzantine Museum due to the many and richly decorated with frescoes and icons, churches in the area and deserves the care of a historical and cultural ark.
The small church of Saint Anna in Anisaraki is a very important Byzantine church of only 20 square meters with an engraved built-in icon, with the portraits of its 9 donors and the rare image of Saint Anna nursing Virgin Mary.
The small church of Saint Georgios in Labiriana was built in the 14th century and its frescoes from the 15th century are probably in relatively poor condition. Saint Panteleimonas, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and Virgin Mary holding the little Jesus are very special works of art.
In Kavalariana, the chapel of Michael the Archangel or Astratigos is located in a beautiful and green location. Externally, the chapel is very modest, but impresses, internally, with its rich frescoes. The frescos painting of the church was done between 1327 and 1328 by the most famous icon painter of the time in the region, Ioannis Pagomenos. The image of Christ the Almighty is very impressive and it is a real treasure.
In the village of Trachiniakos there are three small frescoed churches that betray the great religious tradition of the region. In the church of Saint Ioannis, the frescoes are preserved in a very good condition. The fresco painting of the chapel was, also, made between 1328 and 1329. Great murals depict scenes of the Evangelical Circle, in the arch, and various standing and mounted saints in the lower parts of the walls, among them the fresco with Saint John the Stranger or Hermit. The location of the chapel is impressive, next to the river with plane trees and olive groves. The frescoes, from the 14th century, of the Church of Saint Paraskevi are not in such good condition. In the Church of the Prophet Elias, the frescoes with the Prophet Elias, the Virgin Mary, Jesus, the Archangel Michael, Saint Panteleimon, Saint Paraskevi etc. stand out.
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