Silver coins from the 4th century BC, early Christian architectural elements and life-size woodcarvings give Axos a multifaceted cultural and historical profile. The town’s history, churches and museum offer different perspectives: ancient political roles, sacred architecture, frescoes and woodcarving.
Ancient History and Architectural Remains
The ancient city of Oaxos, also known as Axos, flourished in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. In the 4th century BC, it minted silver coins; during the Hellenistic period, it was the seat of the Cretan Council. In the early Byzantine period, Axos was a bishop’s see. These milestones belong to different eras and show the town’s various historical roles.
Archaeological traces include visible remains of the ancient city wall and an aqueduct. Early Christian architectural elements made of marble have been preserved in several temples in Axos. The city wall and aqueduct represent different types of architectural evidence from the ancient city; the marble elements add an early Christian architectural dimension. These physical traces thus complement the historical information about Axos with concrete examples from different periods.
Churches, Frescoes and Architectural History
The present-day Holy Church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos was built on the site of a Proto-Byzantine church. Parts of the arch and mosaic floor from the older church have been preserved. The church also has well-preserved 14th-century frescoes depicting scenes from the life of John the Baptist. Remains of an earlier church building thus stand alongside a later-dated sequence of images.
In the Holy Church of Agia Irini, remnants of frescoes depicting scenes from the Christological cycle and individual saints have been preserved. Its interior is single-aisled and vaulted, with a dome and a narthex added on the west side. This adjoining entrance hall, positioned to the side or west, is a separate architectural element alongside the single-aisled space and the dome.
The two churches differ both in the state of preservation and in their subject matter: at Agios Ioannis Prodromos, the frescoes are well preserved and depict scenes from the life of John the Baptist. At Agia Irini, remnants of frescoes depicting scenes from the Christological cycle and individual saints have been preserved. A specific saint’s life story thus stands alongside a different religious context for the imagery.
Woodcarvings in the Museum
The artist’s workshop is housed in the same building as the Museum of Woodcarving Georgios Koutandou. The sculptures feature traditional folk forms, depictions of nature, and religious and social themes. The permanent exhibition consists mainly of life-size woodcarvings. It includes “The Eagle and the Office,” a sculpture about six metres long.
The subject matter and scale offer two different ways of understanding the collection: its themes range from folk forms and nature to religion and society, while the life-size execution describes the dimensions of most of the works. The approximately six-metre-long piece adds a specific example of scale. Together with the frescoes and architectural traces, these works represent Axos’s varied cultural and historical highlights.
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For the main travel overview: Rethymno.
