The
church of Aghios Nikolaos lies in the northern foothills of the Panachaikos,
on the right bank of the mountain torrent Xylokera. In a Venetian record of church
property of the end of the 17th century, it is referred to as an old monastery.
The church has undergone a considerable number of repairs.
The monument comprises the main church and a slightly wider narthex.
The wall construction, which is similar and unites the two, shows that church
and narthex are contemporary. The main church consists of a rectangular core measuring
5,50 X 3 m. on the interior, with two spacious apses measuring 3 m. on the chord
projecting from the north and south sides. All three apses are semi-circular on
the interior and three-sided on the exterior. This is usual in the Greek school
to which this monument belongs. Each of the three apses of the main church has
a double window.
Except for the lower sections and the eastern wall of the northern
part of the narthex, the monument is constructed with reticulate tiling, and tile
patterns enliven the appearance of the outer side. Aghios Nikolaos is a characteristic
example of church construction of the Greek school, and it dates to the beginning
of the 12th century. Today it is a parish church of the Community of Platani.
