The project to stabilize and restore the Holy Temple of Saint Andrew in Livadi, which was included in the Operational Program «Attica 2014-2020» (NSRF) in 2019 by the Region of Attica, under the administration of Rena Dourou.
The project has a budget of €445,000 and is being implemented by the Directorate for the Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The Church of Saint Andrew is one of the most important Byzantine churches on Kythira. It belongs to the type of inscribed cruciform, transitional, with a dome. It preserves frescoes from two Byzantine periods (10th–13th centuries), with the fragmentary second layer from the 13th century being of particularly high quality.
The church has been declared a Byzantine monument of national importance (Government Gazette 58/A/11-3-1925) and belongs to the transitional cruciform inscribed church type. After the 2006 earthquake, the interior of the church had to be shored up and has not been open to visitors since.
According to the Ministry, the proposed project includes the consolidation and restoration of the monument for its reopening. Upon completion of the project, an important monument will be returned to use by the residents and visitors of the island of Kythira.
The Ephorate of Western Attica, Piraeus, and Islands, the competent service of the Ministry of Culture and Sports for the protection of the monument, in collaboration with the Metropolis of Kythira and Antikythira, will take all necessary measures to ensure the maintenance and operation of the monument, as the church will be open to visitors.
