The monastery of Daphni
Daphni Monastery
is built on an exceptional site at the western entrance to the Attica Basin,
on the edge of the forest at Chaidari. It is situated approximately halfway along
the Sacred Way
leading from Athens
to Eleusis, probably
on the site of the sanctuary of Apollo Daphnaios. The monastery is protected by
a strong, square defensive wall with battlements, square towers and two gates.
The surrounding wall encloses the catholicon, which is dedicated to the Dormition
of the Virgin Mary, as well as the remains of the cells and the other
buildings, such as the kitchens and refectory.
As a large and
wealthy institution, the monastery may owe its foundation to circles in the
imperial court. That being said, the donator’s identity and the precise
foundation date remain unknown, since no inscription or other evidence yielding
definitive information has yet been found. The catholicon or principal
monastery church dates to the second half of the 11th century, and
is of the octagonal type found in mainland Greece, without galleries, but with
a narthex and more recent two-storey portico to the west. Sixteen single-lobed
windows in the drum of the dome cast light evenly into the church interior.
Thanks to the absence of galleries, from the outside the building appears to
rise like a pyramid to the top of the dome. The walls were built of cloisonné
masonry; large white blocks of stone were used from the ground up to window
level, laid in a cross formation typical of the mid-Byzantine tradition in Greece proper. The ceramoplastic decoration is limited to a
band of meanders in the upper section of the sanctuary apse, dogtooth bands
around the window arches and above the cornice, and limited use of kufic
ornaments.
An open
portico added to the western part of the church in the early 12th century
was later built up and converted into an exonarthex. Its appearance was altered
by Cistercian monks, to whom Otto de la Roche, Duke of Athens, granted the
monastery in 1207. Lancet windows typical of western architecture have thus
survived in the facade, probably in place of what were originally Byzantine
arches. At the same time, the crypt below the narthex was converted into a
mausoleum for the dukes of Athens,
and a western-type monastery cloister consisting of a square courtyard with
galleries was built to the south. When Athens
was taken by the Ottoman Turks in 1458 the monastery was returned to Orthodox
monks. In Late Byzantine times a peculiar north-oriented chapel was constructed
to the west of the exonarthex.
In 1840, following
the Greek revolution, the monastery lost its community and was abandoned, only
to be pressed into service as a public lunatic asylum. In the late 19th
century continuous earthquakes put the catholicon at risk of collapse. Repair work
followed, during which the dome was replaced and the mosaics repaired by
Italian restorers. Some depictions were moved from their original position
during relaying, while others were added to. The interior of the catholicon was
laid out in the manner well known in the renowned buildings of Constantinople, with (now lost) marble revetments and
sculpture decoration in the lower section of the church, and mosaics in the
upper section.
The
exceptional set of mosaics follows the iconographic programme established after
the end of the iconoclast controversy, reflecting new dogmatic beliefs centred
on the Incarnation of the Lord. The austere figure of the Pantocrator rendered
in metal thus dominates the dome, surrounded by prophets in the drum. The
sanctuary niche has a depiction of the Virgin Mary enthroned, accompanied by
archangels. Scenes from the Christological cycle are rendered on the squinches,
the arches and the surfaces of the cross arms, together with saints and prelates
at other points in the church. The iconographic programme is rounded off in the
narthex with scenes from the Passion Cycle and the life of Virgin Mary. All the
figures are represented in the right proportions, displaying restrained
movement, while the harmony and symmetry of the compositions point to art strongly
rooted in the classic tradition. Typical of this is the posture adopted by the prophets
in the drum of the dome, which is reminiscent of ancient philosophers,
as well as the graceful female figures in the narthex compositions. The
Crucifixion scene in the church’s northern cross-arm renders the grief on the
faces of the Virgin Mary and John in a unique manner. The flawless workmanship
displayed in the church decoration point to a founder of considerable means, and
artists trained in a Constantinople workshop.
These
exquisite mosaics date to somewhere between the 10th and late 11th
century rank; in terms of quality they rank among the masterpieces of Byzantine
art. Their classicistic character has recently led them to being assigned to
the reign of
Constantine VII
Porphyrogenitus
(913-959), though the general consensus is that they date to the late 11th
century.
The monument
has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL) since 1990.
Glossary (15)
catholicon:
the main church
of
a monastery.
As a rule
it
was the most imposing one, located in the center of the courtyard
domed octagon:
single-nave church with square plan covered by a dome, which has octagonal support. A variant of this type is the cross-domed octagon found in mainland Greece. This is square or rectangular in plan and merges the dome of the octagonal church with the cross-vaulted extremeties of a cruciform church.
gallery or tribune:
upper story of a church above the side naves and the narthex.
narthex:
oblong reception area
extending
along
the western side
of a basilica. Originally the east portico
of the atrium,
it was later
incorporated into the
church, and served
as a waiting area for catechumens, who were not allowed to
attend the Divine
Liturgy.
single-lobed or single-light window:
window with a single opening that forms an arc at the top.
drum:
hemispherical vault resting on a cylindrical or polygonal drum. Widely used in Christian church architecture.
dome:
hemispherical vault resting on a cylindrical or polygonal drum. Widely used in Christian church architecture.
cloisonne masonry:
elaborate church masonry style, in which rectangular stones are framed by one or two plinths (bricks) laid horizontally and vertically in single or double rows within the mortar of joints.
ceramoplastic decoration:
ceramic and plinth decorative elements inlayed on the exterior surfaces of church walls (bricks, meanders, crosses, diamonds, jagged strips, etc.)
dogtooth, dentil, saw-tooth or course:
ceramic decorative elements that can be oblong or meet along the crowning of the roof, like frames surrounding windows. Can be single or double.
kufic ornaments:
Decorative motifs, mimicking the first Arabic script to appear in the 7th century in Kufa, Mesopotamia. Usually employed on the external surfaces of churches, rendered in small immured clay tablets.
exonarthex or outer narthex:
external
gallery
in the western
part of a church,
between the narthex
and the atrium.
Christological cycle:
scenes in the iconographic program of a church that depict the life of Christ, from the Annunciation to the Ascension.
squinch:
small arch or half-domed niche introduced into Byzantine architecture during the Middle Byzantine period. It is set in the corners of a square area, transforming it into an octagonal capable of supporting a large dome.
The Passion Cycle:
Group of works depicting the Passion of Christ in chronological order: the Last Supper, the Washing of his Feet, the Agony in the Garden, the Betrayal, the Flagellation, the Road to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the Deposition, the Lamentation, the Entombment, the Harrowing of Hell, the Appearance to the Apostles, the Doubting of Thomas.
Information Texts (2)
The city:
Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine
Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the
triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn,
the Bosporus and the Sea
of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade
routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople
in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome
in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of
space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new
strong walls that protected Constantinople
until the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The
city was laid out after Rome.
A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden
Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue
of Constantine
mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later
built more forums decorated with their own statues.
Following
the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople
with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also
saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served
as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period.
During
the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced
major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in
674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful,
destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building
activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on
strengthening the city's fortifications.
With
the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the
9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became
the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were
Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as
Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with
an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing
homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care
of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted
until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set
in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders.
The
Crusaders left Constantinople entirely
unscathed when first passing through, but in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the
Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they
did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael
VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved
unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it
was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in
1453 Constantinople finally fell into their
hands.
The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual
tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions
of Crete and the Peloponnese,
as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.
Iconoclast Controversy:
movement that condemned the worship of images depicting God or the
saints. Initiated in 726 or 730 by Leo III, temporarily halted in 787 by
Empress Irene, resumed again in 815 by Leo V and finally ended in 843
by Empress Theodora. During the two periods of Iconoclasm, the
iconographic programmes in churches were replaced by geometric shapes,
floral motifs, the sign of the cross, etc. Iconodules, those remaining
true to the worship of icons, suffered persecution.
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