The present church is said to stand on the remains of an older building from the time of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Its greatest treasures date from the early 19th century: the interior is covered with vivid frescoes painted around 1812, and the sanctuary is screened by a finely carved walnut iconostasis, with scenes taken from the Bible.
From the outside it is a long stone building with an arched porch, set in a sunken courtyard reached by stone steps. Inside, deep blues and reds dominate the paintings of saints, prophets and the Virgin that spread across the walls, columns and dome, while an image of Christ looks down from the centre of the ceiling.
Leusë can be reached on foot from Përmet in under an hour along the village road, or by four-wheel drive. The church is usually locked, so ask locally or through your guesthouse about the key. The views back over Përmet and the valley make the climb well worthwhile.
