The church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (Metamorphosis tou Sotera) dominates the centre of the Bloutsianika neighbourhood of Lagada and is one of the most important monuments built in the region of Mani during the Late Byzantine period. Of four-columned cross-in-square type with dome, the church is is dated to the late fourteenth century and underwent various repairs in the late seventeenth/early eighteenth century. The decorative brickwork on its exterior is characteristic of the local Byzantine architecture, while the belfry is one of the loveliest in Mani. The interior of the church is covered in wall-paintings, executed in two phases.
Before consolidation and restoration works were begun in 2018, the church had serious structural and static problems. Its roof had been destroyed completely and rainwater was causing considerable damage to the wall-paintings, many of which had been covered by later plaster. The Non-profit Civil Company AEGEAS responded immediately to the request of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia to undertake the consolidation and restoration of the monument, in accordance with the study approved by the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The project was particularly demanding, as it had to enhance all the constructional phases of the building and to secure its static adequacy, its aesthetic rehabilitation and the enhancement of its historical value. In the course of its implementation, the data that came to light with regard to the Byzantine architecture of the church, the Post-Byzantine iconostasis and the painted decoration significantly enriched our knowledge of the ecclesiastical architecture of western Mani.
