The settlement of Episkopi is located at an altitude of 270m and is 35.5 km away. from Rethymnon. It was the seat of the Episcopate of Avlopotamos from the beginning of the 2nd Byzantine period. The now-ruined church of Agios Ioannis, known as Fragoklisia, was built on the ruins of an early Christian basilica, as evidenced by sculpted members from the first church that have been reused. It is a large cruciform inscribed temple. It was the cathedral and seat initially of the Byzantine diocese of Avlopotamos and later of the Latin diocese. Parts of 14th century frescoes are preserved in the sanctuary. The temple has undergone many conversions, renovations and several building phases can be distinguished. In one of them, a plinth with a large engraved inscription with the date MDLXVIII (i.e. 1568) and a relief shield associated with the Latin bishop Iakovos Sorreto was placed at the southern entrance. South of the church, the Episcopal Palace was built, where the bishop lived.
During the period of the Turkish occupation (1669-1878), the entire complex underwent many reconstructions. In addition to the church of St. John, there is also the church of St. George from the Venetian period, St. Anthony and the cavernous church of St. Theodora.
The settlement is preserved almost unchanged, preserving important buildings from the period of the Venetian rule in Crete. For this reason it has been designated a protected monument. Many buildings of the settlement are indicative of the way in which elements of Venetian architecture evolved and were integrated into popular Cretan architecture.
