Church of Agios Athanasios in Dotsiko

The Church of Agios Athanasios in Dotsiko, Grevena, is a remarkable monument of 18th-century ecclesiastical architecture and painting. Built in the summer of 1865, it is a three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica with a semicircular apse, a two-story narthex-women’s gallery, and an open portico on the southern side. The carefully crafted masonry, particularly at the corners and the apse of the sanctuary, which is decorated with a blind arcade, is a defining feature of the church. The carved stone doorframe of the entrance and the quatrefoil stone window frames are examples of folk art, adding to the church’s unique aesthetic.

Inside, the frescoes in the sanctuary date back to the early 20th century, while the icon of Agios Athanasios at the entrance is from 1877. The gilded wooden iconostasis features works by painters from Samarina, including the despotic icon of Christ from 1867, the Dormition of the Theotokos from 1869, and the icon of Archangel Michail. The wooden ceiling, with a medallion of Christ Pantocrator, is particularly impressive.

The church houses a rich collection of portable icons, documented by the Byzantine Antiquities Service, as well as a bronze bell from 1895. Nearby is the chapel of Agia Paraskevi, a later construction, where exceptional post-Byzantine icons of ascetic artistry are preserved. The Church of Agios Athanasios stands as an important cultural and religious landmark of the region, bearing witness to the rich historical and artistic heritage of Dotsiko.