Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

The Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Kalambaka is one of Thessaly’s most important Byzantine monuments, a three‑aisled basilica whose origins likely date to the 9th–10th century . Built on an artificial terrace beneath the Meteora rocks, it incorporates architectural traces of earlier phases, including a trivelon entrance, synthronon, and fragments of a mosaic floor preserved beneath the current flooring . Inside, the church offers a rare blend of artistic periods. The oldest frescoes—late 11th–early 12th century—survive in the southern aisle, while the majority of the painted decoration was created in 1573 by the priest Kyriazis and the Cretan monk Neofytos, son of the renowned painter Theophanes . The 18th‑century narthex frescoes add yet another historical layer. One of the church’s most remarkable features is its unique marble pulpit, the only one of its kind in Greece, reconstructed from early Christian architectural fragments and positioned in the center of the nave . Visitors can also see the marble ciborium, early Christian sculptural reliefs embedded in the southern wall, and a partially revealed mosaic floor near the left aisle . The interior preserves important inscriptions, including the golden bull of Emperor Andronikos III (1336) and the patriarchal sigillium of 1393, which defined and renewed the privileges of the Bishopric of Stagoi.