The castle
The
castle of Mystras
or Myzithra was
founded in
1249 by
the Frankish
Prince
William II
de Villehardouin.
It lies on the top of a
mound in the foothills of Mt. Taygetus,
a few miles to the north-west
of Lacedaemon, as Sparta
was known
in the Byzantine era.
The hill is
naturally
fortified; it is completely inaccessible from the south and
southeast,
as the rock
rises almost
vertically
to
an incredible height.
However,
the view of the
Eurotas river
valley
is
not
blocked
by
anything
to
the north, east and
south -
the
site is
crucial
to controlling
the area. The
name Mystras
is
probably derived
from
some
landowner
in the area
whose surname
or profession
was
Myzithras (a
cheese maker).
The
Franks
built
a strong
castle
for the
effective control
of
the south
Peloponnese.
However,
in order to free
William after the
Battle
of
Pelagonia
in
1259, three years later they were forced to surrender
the fortresses
of Monemvasia,
Mani and Mystras
to the Byzantines.
Over the
next
few
years,
the security provided
by the
hill
prompted the
people of Lacedaemon
and
the surrounding
villages to settle on
the hillside
below
the castle.
There
they built houses,
using
marble
and
other
building
material from the
ruins
of ancient
Sparta
and their former
properties.
The Diocese of Lacedaemon
moved
its headquarters
to Mystras in
1264, followed in 1289 by the annually elected general at the head of the military
in the Morea. The cathedral
dedicated
to Agios
Demetrios
was built
in the
last third
of the 13th
century,
possibly
by Bishop
Eugene,
and was renovated
by Nicephorus
Moschopoulos
from Constantinople.
Outstanding figures in
Mystras must have included Daniel
and
chancellor
Pachomius, who founded
Agioi Theodoroi (before 1296) and Aphentiko (1310), the two successive
catholica
at Vrontochi
Monastery. From
1308 onwards the annually elected commander was replaced by a permanently appointed
official.
In
1348 Mystras became capital of the Despotate of the Morea, first governed by Manuel
Cantcuzenus (1348-1380), second son of Emperor John VI. Manuel wedded Princess Isabella,
the daughter of Guy de Lusignan, King of Armenia Minor. To Greeks she is better
known as Isabeau, from a widely read fictional biography. In around 1350 Manuel
founded the Monastery of the Zoodochos Christos (the Life-giving Christ), which
has been identified as the present day church of Agia Sophia.
Isabella appears to have founded Peribleptos Monastery at about the same time.
In
1383 the command of Mystras passed from the Cantacuzenus family to the
Palaeologus family, which then held the throne in Constantinople.
Theodore I Palaeologus, son of Emperor John V, put a stop to the separatist
aspirations of Demetrios, last of the Cantacuzeni. The administration of
Mystras always depended on the delicate balance between enemies and friends. On
the one hand, the city’s inhabitants had high morale and a strong sense of
national consciousness, as a result of years of war and forced cohabitation
with the Franks, Venetians and Albanians, who had begun to arrive in the
Peloponnese in waves from the 13th century onwards, as well as with Jews, who had
settled on the outskirts of the city. The inhabitants reacted vigorously when
Theodore attempted to lease Mystras to the Knights Hospitaller in 1402, thus cancelling
the settlement. On the other hand, there were continuous conflicts between the
rulers and the population over high taxation and other burdens. In 1423 the
Ottomans pillaged the Peloponnese, but in
1429, after the successes of Theodore II Palaeologus and the new emperor John
VIII, a new Despotate was created with Glarentza as its capital, followed in
1430 by a third based at Kalavryta. It was then, in this period of final
triumph, that the monasteries of the Annunciation and Pantanassa were built at Mystras. However, of
the three Palaeologus brothers who laid claim to rule of the Morea and even of
Constantinople itself - Theodore, Thomas and Constantine - only the latter
remained in Mystras until 1449. He then left for the capital to ascend the
throne, without having been officially crowned. After 1453 the Ottomans had the
upper hand in the Peloponnese, and it was only
a matter of time before they conquered the last Byzantine strongholds. In 1460
Demetrios Palaeologus surrendered Mystras to Mehmet II, when threatened by his
mighty army, while Thomas left to Italy from Patras.
Mystras
was
a
large
city
for
its time,
and
the
heart
of the Peloponnese
for close on
two
centuries.
Major
figures
of the time
walked
its narrow
streets -
laymen
and clergy who
determined not
only the
fate
of the city,
but possibly
also that of Europe.
The most famous of all was the
philosopher
Georgius
Gemistus
Plethon,
who held high
government office.
Indeed, at the
synod on the Union of the Churches, it was
Plethon
who
led to the revival of
interest in
classical
culture
in
Florence.
In 1464,
during the unsuccessful
Venetian siege
of Mystras,
Lord Sigismondo
Malatesta
managed to
enter the city
and
loot
the corpse
of
Plethon, which
he deposited
alongside
those of
other
wise men
at
his court
in
Rimini.
Glossary (1)
catholicon:
the main church
of
a monastery.
As a rule
it
was the most imposing one, located in the center of the courtyard
Information Texts (6)
William II of Villehardouin:
Born in Kalamata,
which earned him the sobriquet Kalamatas. After the death of Geoffrey II in
1246 he became governor of the principality of Achaia. His rule ended abruptly
during the Battle of Pelagonia in 1259, when he was defeated and captured by
Michael Palaeologus; in order to save his life he was forced to relinquish the
fortresses of Monemvasia, Maini and Mystras (1262).
Agios Demetrios:
Martyr and patron
saint of Thessaloniki.
According to sources on his martyrdom, he was born c. 280-284 AD to an
aristocratic family and served as an officer in the Roman army. On being
baptized he was imprisoned for breaching Emperor Diocletian’s decree on renouncing
Christianity. He was executed by the Romans in 303, during the reign of Emperor
Galerius Maximianus (293-311). Fearing his remains would be snatched by Roman
pagans, some Christians buried them on the site of his martyrdom, in the basement
of a ruined Roman bath near the stadium. Shortly after the Edict of Milan in
313, a small rectangular commemorative building was erected on the same site,
followed by the large basilica of St. Demetrios. Extensively added to and
repaired over the years, the church is still in use to this day.
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.
The church of Agioi Theodoroi:
Located next to Hodegetria in the north-eastern part of
the Lower Town
in
Mystras, the church
of Agioi Theodoroi was
originally the catholicon and then the burial church of Vrontochi Monastery.
It was built in 1290-1295 by Pachomius and Daniel, monks who are mentioned in a
verse inscription on the templon
architrave. Agioi Theodoroi exhibit the
general features of a mainland octagonal church, but three centuries after the
type was first employed at Agios Loukas in Phocis, the church displays a series
of remarkable innovations. There are no tribunes or narthex, the dome is only
supported on columns to the west, and the side compartments have barrel vaults rather
than groin vaults. There are chapels in all four corners, the east of
which served as a burial place.Externally, this evolved type of church takes
the form of a cuboid building deftly scaled up, thus counterbalancing the
aesthetic effect of the massive central dome. Decoration on the side walls is
then taken up by characteristic features of the Greek school, such as zones of cloisonné
masonry, dogtooth bands, ceramic cups, which initially coexisted with
abacus-like friezes, quadrant arches flanking the windows and curved pediments.
This special monument was supplemented by a narthex with tower-like corner chapels
to the west, and a closed gallery to the north. The interior retains part of
the original decoration dating to the late 13th century. The lower surfaces are
covered in a series of full-length military saints above a zone imitating
marble revetments, while the upper parts are covered with scenes from the Life
of the Virgin Mary and the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. The later frescoes
in the southeast chapel, which is apparently dedicated to Our Lady of the
Life-Giving Spring, may date to around 1400. The figures of two Byzantine nobles
are depicted on the north and south walls. In the north-east chapel there is a
tomb and depiction of someone called Manuel Palaeologus kneeling and praying in
front of the Virgin and Child. According to an inscription, Manuel died in 1423
or 1453.
Surviving traces of the decoration in the north-west
narthex chapel depict the miracles of Archangels Michael and Gabriel, to whom
it was probably dedicated.
The church of Panagia Hodegetria or Aphentiko:
The Church of Panagia
Hodegetria (Our Lady of the Way) or Aphentiko is the new catholicon of
Vrontochi Monastery, abutting the massive walls in the north-western part of
the lower city of Mystras.
It was built in around 1310 by an energetic abbot named Pachomius. According to
two chysobulls painted in the southwest chapel, he managed to
secure imperial grants of considerable lands in the Peloponnese
and a lifetime appointment as head of the monastery.Hodegetria is a large,
imposing two-storey building that shows architectural innovation: while the
upper part is a five-domed cross-in-square church with a narthex
and galleries, the ground floor is a basilica divided into three
naves by arched colonnades. This church type, known as the "Mystras
mixed type", was used for other monuments in the vicinity (Pantanassa,
Agios Demetrios). The nave is built of roughly hewn stones with occasional rows
of brick, and was probably originally plastered. The east side of the building
retains its original form and exhibits stylistic elements similar to those of
contemporary monuments in Constantinople. The
sanctuary apse and pastophoria are divided into zones with windows and
blind (bricked up) arches. In the upper zone, low, flat niches with double
brick arches complete the exterior decoration. The church was surrounded by porches
arranged in a pi-shape, covered with hemispherical domes. The south
porch was converted into a burial chapel in the 14th century, when the
openings in the ground floor were walled up and turned into burial niches. Two
additional chapels were created at either end of the narthex, and a
further two at ground level in the north porch. The three-storey bell
tower to the south of the west portico is built of cloisonné masonry. On
the outside, the upper level is separated from the ground floor by a marble cornice,
and has triple-light windows adorned with brick arches. Higher up, the tower’s
exterior appearance is complemented by shallow blind niches.The interior decoration
was sumptuous, combining sculpture decoration, marble revetments and wall
paintings. Only a few pieces of the sculpture decoration and rare revetments
have survived. The wall paintings date to different periods; some fragments are
visible in the nave, along with better preserved sections in the chapels.
In the main church, the frescoes dating to the 1410’s are obviously the work of
painters from Constantinople. They depict an
extensive Christological cycle, martyrs and saints in the side aisles, prelates
and deacons in the sanctuary, and patriarchs, prophets and apostles in the
galleries. The compositions in the chapels reveal the personality of Pachomius,
the founder. In the so-called chrysobull chapel in the south-west, four angels are
holding a mandorla around a now lost depiction of Christ, from which
beams of light descend by divine hand, holding the chrysobulls of Emperors
Andronicus II Palaeologus and Michael IX. Pachomius is buried in the northwest chapel,
where successive rows of saints’ choruses are depicted praying to Christ; Pachomius
appears on an arcosolium on the western side, offering a model of the church to
Our Lady. On the north side is the tomb of Despot Theodore I Palaeologus
(1384-1407). According to his burial mural, he became a monk and took the name
Theodoretos.The southeast chapel is probably dedicated to the Three Hierarchs. The
decoration in it is later, and depicts the vision of Agios Ioannis Euchaita
(St. John, Bishop of Euchaita), which when interpreted led to the establishment
of a joint feast day for Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and St. John
Chrysostom. The frescoes can be dated to 1366 on the basis of the monogram
above the chapel entrance, representing Cyprianus, Episcopal Vicar and Abbot.
Finally, the frescoes in the south portico date to later in the 14th century;
the portico served as a burial place for rulers, as is evidenced by scenes in
the dome, burial paintings of a noble named Kaniotis and his wife in the west
arcosolium, and of another officer on the northern wall.Under Ottoman rule the
church served as a mosque before being abandoned. In the early 19th century,
columns were removed from the colonnade to be used elsewhere, while the
central part of the dome and galleries collapsed.
Despotate of Morea (or Despotate of Mystras) :
semi-autonomous region of the Byzantine Empire in the Peloponnese,
including the castles of Mystras, Monemvasia and Great Mani. The capital
of the region was the castle of Mystras, founded in 1249 by William II
Villehardouin, Frankish ruler of the Principality of Achaia. The
Despotate of Morea was established in 1262 and remained under the
influence of Byzantium until 1460, when it was captured by Mehmed V.
Bibliography (4)
1. Χατζηδάκης Μ., Μυστράς. Η μεσαιωνική πολιτεία και το κάστρο, Athens, 1987
2. Αχειμάστου - Ποταμιάνου, Μυρτάλη, Μυστράς. Ιστορικος και αρχαιολογικός οδηγός, Athens, 2003
3. Η Πολιτεία του Μυστρά, Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού, Athens, 2001
4. Runciman St., Mistra, Byzantine Capital of the Peloponnese, Λονδίνο, 1980
Comments (0)