Elevation of the Holy Cross – Restoration of the Holy Icons

The chapel of Hosios Christodoulos was annexed to the south-west corner of the Katholikon of the monastery, after Christodoulos' death in 1093. It has two entrances leading to it, one at the south-west of the Katholikon and one at the south of the narthex. The frescoes that adorned the chapel until 2005, were painted in the 19th century. During a conservation program, by Ioannis Sotiriou, the 19th century frescoes were removed and revealed beneath them a 16th century decoration, now covering the walls and the ceiling of the chapel. The newly revealed wall paintings have not yet been published, but according to their stylistic elements are attributed to the Cretan school and dated around the middle of the 16th century.

Elevation of the Holy Cross – Restoration of the Holy Icons
Two large scale compositions adorn the upper parts of the north and south walls, the Elevation of the Holy Icons and the Elevation of the Holy Cross respectively. Both these compositions present characteristic features of the Cretan school of the 16th century. The figures are tall and slender, dressed with lavishly decorated garments. The painter is of obvious talent which can be seen at the details of the faces, the poses and the decorative motifs of the garments. Some figures are portrayed in an old-fashion frontal pose, but this could be explained by the inveteracy of the iconographical theme. At the left and right of both scenes, flanking the compositions, are depicted buildings with Gothic elements and a three dimensional impression. The use of light and shadows, the harmony of the colour scale used, the pictorial technique, the tall and slender figures, as well as the multifigural total compositions, suggest their attribution to the Cretan school of the 16th century.