Saint John the Theologian at Lakkoi
The small church of St. John is located inside the settlement of Lakkoi, abandoned decades ago, to the northeast of Krousta. The church, which had been built in place of an older, larger church, was decorated in 1347/48 by the lord John Klontzias, as the dedicatory inscription on the west wall informs us. The iconographic programme, as it was established for the small, single-nave churches of the island, includes Gospel scenes, saints in full-length and in bust, while the Reposing Christ stands out on the front of the east wall. The Birth of Christ is depicted on the upper section of the built altar screen and the Deesis lower, with St. John the Theologian, and behind him St. Kerykos, to the left of the sanctuary door, and Christ to its right. Certain iconographic details are noteworthy, such as the rose Glory of Christ in the Ascension or the sky of the same hue and the breastfeeding All-Holy Virgin in the Birth, which may be due to western influence. The painting of the church is characteristic of the high artistic quality in a group of churches of the 14th century in the area, among which the painter of St. John’s is distinct.
