Restoration of the Ancient Church of Archangelos Michael in Dierona, Limassol

The chapel of the Archangel Michael is located in Dierona Village, in the mountainous area of Limassol, and dates back to the middle of the 15th century and has been declared by the Department of Antiquities as an ancient monument. Unfortunately, in the 60s, the church was found in poor condition with its frescoes damaged and the roof showing the first signs of collapse. From then until 2007 it was left to the ravages of time so that after the last earthquakes the roof and part of the walls collapsed.

In 2007, it was decided that the church had to be repaired and some years later the procedures to restore the church began. Geoimaging was asked to document the existing condition of the church in order to start the planning of the restoration study.

In the documentation of historical structures, there is always a challenge when complex irregular elements exist and require drawings of high geometric accuracy. For this reason, Geoimaging ltd used the science of Photogrammetry in combination with conventional surveying in order to create orthophotos and 2D drawings of the church. An orthophoto or orthoimage is an image that is free of distortion (it has been ortho-rectified) and which is characterized by a uniform scale over its entire surface. The final deliverables were 2D elevations, cross sections, a floor plan, and orthophotos of specific walls of the church.

In 2017 the church was fully restored and since then it operates normally. Every year it is visited by both locals, residents from nearby villages and other visitors from all over Cyprus.