THE CHURCH OF AGIOI APOSTOLOI AT PYRGI

The church of Agioi Apostoloi is located in the northeastern side of the main square of Pyrgi, one of the largest medieval villages of southern Chios. The settlement is mentioned in a 14^th c. (1362) document, and in 1422 it is marked as a fortified settlement in a map by Florentine traveler Christoforo Buondelmonti. The architectural form of the church follows the Katholikon of Nea Moni as a prototype, though at a smaller scale; the prototype of Nea Moni was built in the mid-11^th century and belongs to the octagon church type.