Church of St. George, Embaros
Creators: name: Enriquez, Nicolyna
Publisher: name: Database of Religious History (DRH)
Year: 2023

description: Located in the center of the village of Embaros in the Pediada Eparchy, the church of St. George in Embaros is a single nave construction with a pointed barrel vault. Divided into three bays, the raised transverse arches are decorated at each of their terminuses with a coat of arms on a red ground, presumably that of the donor’s family. The exterior is composed of exposed stone covered by a tiled gable roof. The primary entrance, located on the west side of the building, is framed by a pointed arch which once likely held a painting, now whitewashed. The roof is topped by a later belfry. A modern window has been inserted into the center of the north wall. The village of Embaros, at the base of the Dikti Mountains, is one of the largest villages in the area with records of the village dating back to the early fourteenth century. Located in the valley of the Mparitis River, the region is lush with agricultural products from olive oil to wine production. Although agriculture is the primary occupation of the community, they are also well known for their ditany, or mountain tea. The church of St. George, with its well-preserved frescoes, was commissioned by, according to the dedicatory inscription preserved on the west wall above an image of the archangel Michael, the contribution and efforts of the priest Manuel, his wife and children, along with several other Christians, during the reign of the emperor John VIII Palaiologos (r. 1425-48) in the year 6945 (1436-1437) and painted by the hand of Manuel Phokas. Although the wall paintings are damaged, they are of a high quality, reflecting the art of the major artistic centers of the Byzantine world. The sanctuary is, today, separated by a modern wooden iconostasis built into the wall just beyond the easternmost transverse arch. Heavily damaged, the sanctuary wall paintings reveal only remnants of the figure of Christ Pantocrator in the apse, the Hospitality of Abraham in the upper part of the triumphal arch, and deacons and coofficiating bishops along the lower register. The sanctuary barrel vault is in better condition showing the scenes of the Pentecost and the Ascension. The apostles appear amidst ornate contemporary buildings and mountainous landscapes. Below these scenes, two additional scenes, the Incredulity of Thomas, on the south, and Christ Appearing to the Two Marys, on the north, are flanked to the west by an unidentifiable martyr (on the north) and an ornate floral pattern (on the south). The nave, divided into two by a transverse arch decorated with busts of saints, includes three registers of narrative scenes from the Christological cycle and the Life and Martyrdom of St. George. The height of the church and the quality of the painting allows each scene to be rendered in fine detail with the figures positioned amidst dramatic land and cityscapes. The life of St. George includes six scenes from the life and martyrdom of the saint with the unusually combined scene of St. George in the Lime Pit and St. George in the Furnace. The lower register on both the north and south walls displays rows of saints framed under a red archway decorated with floral motifs. The northern wall includes the images of three female saints next to two medical saints, Sts. Cosmas and Damian, identified by their boxes of medicinal powders and ladles. Along the southern wall, unobstructed by the modern window are a similar row of standing saints, albeit badly preserved. Among these only the images of the Saints Constantine and Helena can be readily identified. The western wall, heavily damaged, shows the Last Judgment with the outer figures from the Apostles Tribunal and the Angels Rolling up the Heavens visible on either side of the scene. To the left of the entrance the image of the Archangel Michael is framed below the dedicatory inscription. The scene of the Pool of Fire along with a few figures of the damned, albeit very damaged, is visible on the right side of the entrance.