The church of Asinou stands 5km away from Nikitari village, in a thick forest. It was originally built in 1105 and in 1300 the vault of the naos was rebuilt. A domed narthex was added in 1200.
The entire interior of the church is covered with wall paintings dating back to 1099, and the 14th and 16th centuries. A dedication painted on the wall reads:
This sacred church was built by the contribution and the great devotion of Nicephorous Magistros the Strong when Alexious Comnenous was emperor in the year 6614, indication 14 (December 15 1099).
A mural above the entrance portrays Nicephorous donating the church to the Virgin Mary in memory of his young daughter Gefyra. In the half arch above the entrance of the nave is the Virgin Mary, with both hands lifted up and the infant Christ in between. To the right, a black and a white hound are tied to a spear, while depicted in the background are mountains and two moufflons. An inscription dates the painting to 1332.
The name Phorviotissa comes from horses that lived in the area. The church is one of the eleven painted churches under Unesco World Heritage sites.
PNT-00891 > Tessa Henderson, Church of Panayia Phorbitotissa, Asinou, pencil drawing, 20.2x38 cm, 1985-88.
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
