Another basilica in the area of Pleuron came to light by chance in 1973 in the area of Messokambos – Foinikia of Messolonghi. The discovery was followed by an excavation. The short distance it lies from the sea today and the large-scale silting up of the area make it likely that it was originally sited right on the coast.
It is a large basilica (23.10 x 14.10 m) with three aisles, built with ancient material. The apse was almost semi-circular and reinforced with two radial buttresses. A narthex was created to the west, with two auxiliary spaces, one on either side of it, and a baptistery to the south.
The original construction of the monument dates to the Early Byzantine period. In the Middle Byzantine period the church was in a state of abandonment, but the building had not collapsed, and was used as a cemetery, as a large number of graves, without any burial offerings, show. From the decorative details of the monument, part of a marble balustrade with a relief of a peacock and part of the paving of the eastern nave, made of stone slabs and square ceramic tiles, were recovered.
Today the monument cannot be visited, as it is surrounded by industrial salt-processing plants. The location of the site is interesting because, among other things, the building would have been close to the main road, which was in constant use down the years.
