Located on the southern outskirts of the city of Kiato is the hill of “Panagitsa,” which hosts the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, more widely known to locals as “Panagitsa.” This small hill was formed from the accumulation of soil resulting from the silting of the ancient port of Sikyon during the late antiquity. The port, which was in use until the Byzantine era, was located in the area of another present-day hill, north of Panagitsa Hill and closer to the sea, on the current Magoula Hill.
At the sanctuary of Panagitsa, southwest of the modern church, visitors can explore the ruins of an important Byzantine monument: the Early Christian Basilica of Lower Sikyon (Kiato), as it is officially known. This basilica, dating back to the 5th century AD, was excavated in 1933 and 1954 by Anastasios Orlandos and in 1986-1987 by K. Skarmoutsos. The excavations revealed that the church was destroyed by fire and was never repaired. Two Doric columns found on the southern side indicate that material from an ancient temple in the area was reused in its construction. During a tour of the archaeological site, visitors can clearly see the foundations of the buildings that comprised the Byzantine church, the semi-circular atria, the mosaics that once paved the floors of the grand temple, and even architectural members adorned with relief decorations scattered throughout the area.
Today, supplementary research is being conducted at the archaeological site by the University of Thessaly in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinthia under the auspices of the Archaeological Society. These studies aim to determine the era of the temple’s founding, investigate its architectural history, and examine its connection to the settlement, port, or cemetery with which it was initially associated.
