Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary – Flampouro

The present Flampouro (Negovani) is located in the SE of Florina.
The inhabitants of the village come from parts of the general region of Epirus.
According to local tradition, in the 1840s many herdsmen abandoned their original cradles in northern Epirus and settled with their herds in the area of Negovani (Flampouro).
With them, cattle breeders and craftsmen – builders brought the icon of the Holy Trinity and installed it in a small chapel until the village church was built.
The church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary was built in 1871, by the inhabitants themselves, who were all masons. It is a three-aisled wooden-roofed basilica with the well-known turreted bell tower.
The church was burnt down by the Turks in 1912. It was restored in 1923. In 1958-59 new general repairs were made, when new columns were built. In 1980, there were also wiring interventions, with aluminium in the openings, which altered the form of the church.
On the west side is the turreted belfry. Above the narthex is the women’s narthex. Five pairs of columns divide the basilica floor plan into three aisles. The apse of the sanctuary is semi-hexagonal on the outside. The external dimensions of the church are: 25,64 x 12,78 m. The dome of the church was painted by Vangelis Tamoutselis.

SOURCE: Anastasios Pogas (from his book “Flampouron Florini – Famous”