There were ten churches in Byzantine Arta, but not one of them could match St. Basil in beauty. It has many standard features of local church architecture. The east pediment rises above the roof. The west pediment is flat-topped, probably because it housed a church bell that no longer survives. The exterior walls are richly decorated with clay bricks set in various patterns, such as fishbones and meanders. The decoration is enhanced with the use of green, yellow, and off-white tiles. This church makes plain the effort of the local aristocracy, that envisioned the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, to advertise its power and wealth.