All about Zakynthos

The founding document of the church of Pantokrator by the monks of the monastery of the same name was drawn up in 1517 by the notary Theodore Avlonitis. There we read: '. . the divine grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has saved and glorified us, the full-fledged owners and brothers of the said monastery, and we have built this divine and holy temple of Pantokrator from the foundation and labours and exalted us in the year 1517, the first day of August . . and . . . hostel and common room. . . "

The icons of the Twelve, painted with the technique of egg tempera on wood with preparation, date from the 17th century and have been attributed to the painter Victor, except for the depiction of the birth and groping of Thomas. The icon of the Annunciation is attributed to Leo Mosco.

In 1919 the church of Pantokrator was granted by the Metropolitan of Zakynthos Dionysios Plessas for the housing of the Museum of Medieval and Byzantine Antiquities.

The church of Pantokrator in the earthquake fire of 1953 was demolished but not burned, but unfortunately it was not rebuilt and its iconostasis is now preserved in the Post-Byzantine Museum.