The church was bombed during World War II and sold as exchangeable estate to a private individual who attempted to demolish it. The Archdiocese of Crete then intervened with the Archaeological Service and Trades Union representatives to buy the church, which was eventually restored in 1956.
During restoration work, a large number of Byzantine and Medieval pots came to light, as well as Byzantine and Venetian bronze coins.
The ruins of the church in 1954