The restoration and reinforcement work on the church has been completed, allowing it to reopen to the public. The ceremony, organized by the Metropolis of Grevena in collaboration with the Municipality of Grevena, took place yesterday, on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
The project was complex, involving “restoration and seismic protection of the church,” executed by the Directorate of Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (DABMM); an “archaeological investigation inside the church” conducted by the Grevena Ephorate of Antiquities; and the “conservation and restoration of the wood-carved iconostasis, the decorated ceiling inside the church, and the stone decorative elements,” carried out by the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments (DSANM). The project was co-funded by the EU Structural Funds (ESPA 2014-2020) with a total budget of €2,294,340, and was completed in early 2024.
Megali Panagia, as it is known to the residents of historic Samarina, was built in the late 1810s on the ruins of an older church, as revealed by recent archaeological research. Sonia Dimaki, the head of the Grevena Ephorate of Antiquities, who supervised the excavations, stated that the research uncovered important findings previously unknown. Outside the church, parts of a stone-paved floor were found, and inside, a rectangular conduit made of irregular stones and remains of walls with preserved frescoes were discovered, indicating an earlier phase of the church, possibly dating back to the 17th-18th centuries. Additional finds included post-Byzantine ceramic fragments, fresco decoration fragments with inscriptions referring to the Theotokos, and glass vessel fragments.
The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos “Megali Panagia” was declared a historic monument in 1962. However, over time, serious structural damage occurred, particularly in the sanctuary area, where a pine tree has grown since the early 20th century.
According to Dimaki, the Archaeological Service’s experts determined that the cause of the ground subsidence was the flow of underground water beneath the foundations from west to east. The church is located in a prominent spot in the village, where it is covered with heavy snow for at least three months each year.
Regarding the 100-year-old pine tree growing inside the church’s sanctuary, Dimaki mentioned that the scientific team decided to leave it in place for reasons of collective memory, as it has become one of the most recognized landmarks in Samarina and Grevena.
The DSANM conservators took on the challenging task of restoring the frescoes. Movable parts, such as icons, the rare wood-carved iconostasis, the pulpit, and the bishop’s throne, were transferred to DSANM workshops, where they were fully restored.
Dimaki noted that Samarina was a center for iconographic art, with a painting school operating from the late 18th century, influencing the wider Western Macedonia region. The church of the Theotokos, along with other churches and monasteries in the area, was painted by Samarina’s artists.
In August 2021, the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, who will attend today’s reopening, visited Samarina and was briefed on the progress of the church’s restoration work by the Ministry of Culture’s services.
