A small stone church at the foot of Mount Vitosha, so cramped that only eight visitors go in at a time — and the limit is enforced, because what covers the walls is fragile and extraordinary. The 1259 frescoes give their figures individual faces, weighted drapery and eyes that meet yours: a century before Giotto, someone here had stopped painting icons and started painting people. Among the portraits are the donors, sebastokrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava.