The church of the Archangel
The church of the Archangel
lies in the south part of Kastoria, in the cathedral parish, a short distance
from Omonia Square.
Reused architectural members such as columns, mullion bases and
imposts indicate that the church was probably built on the site of an Early
Christian
basilica.
From an architectural point of view the church is a 9th -10th
century basilica with narthex. On the inside, two colonnades
divide it into three naves; the central one ends in a semicircular conch,
while the side naves end in smaller conches built into the thickness of the
wall. The raised nave has a barrel vaulted roof. The north nave was
later expanded and doubled in width, but still retains part of the eastern wall
and the conch. An oblong narthex
was added to the west of the church, covered by three vaults that divide the
roof into three sections corresponding to the tripartite division of the nave.
On the interior there are two successive layers of decoration. All that
survives of the first are a few poorly preserved fragments. Christ is visible
in the apse of the north nave and Matthew the Evangelist in that of the south
nave, added to which is a decorative band in a section around the sanctuary
apse. Over the entrance to the narthex in the east wall, parts of a
broader depiction of Advent show an imposingly large figure of an enthroned
Christ opposite Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the three forefathers. Saints are
depicted in the arches, while the space over the south nave entrance has a half-length
depiction of Christ shown blessing. Although these fragmentary representations
do not help us to draw conclusions about this layer’s iconographic programme, in
stylistic terms they point to the first layer of wall paintings in Agios Stephanos
and the early frescoes of Cappadocian churches.
The second layer dates to 1359 -1360. Surfaces in the central nave are devoted
to scenes from the Dodecaorton and the Passion, alongside full-length
depictions of saints. The second layer paintings follow the
anti-classical tradition of contemporary churches in Kastoria and Ohrid, tending
towards a flat, linear rendition of forms and expressiveness in movements.
The outer west wall frescos feature full-length depictions of Panagia Hodegetria
(Our Lady of the Way) and Archangels Gabriel and Michael. At the foot of the
Archangel Michael there are smaller scale depictions of King Michael Asen of
the Bulgarians (1246-1256/7) and probably his wife Anna - not his mother Irene Comnena,
as argued until recently. The frescoes on the outer south wall depict local
officials and inscriptions dating to the 15th century, which provide important
information on the area’s people, clothes and art.
Glossary (8)
Paleo-Christian (early Christian) era:
in Byzantine history, the period that typically starts in 330 AD, when Constantine the Great transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to his newly-founded city of Constantinople, and ends with the death of Justinian in 565.
basilica:
type of large church, divided internally into three or more naves. The central nave was usually covered by a raised roof with windows that illuminated the space.
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.
colonnade:
sequence of columns placed in and around buildings.
conch (Sanctuary niche):
Niche
in the eastern end
of a basilica. Semicircular on the inside, with a horseshoe shaped, rectangular or polygonal exterior.
barrel-vaulted building:
building roofed with semicircular vaults.
Dodecaorton:
the twelve major celebrations in the Orthodox Church associated with the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, represented by a corresponding number of painted scenes, which have become the core of the iconographic programme in a church. These are: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Presentation, the Baptism, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection of Lazarus, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Incredulity of Thomas, the Ascension and Pentecost or the Assumption of Mary.
wall paintings or murals:
Painted scenes on a wall or ceiling surface.
Information Texts (0)
Bibliography (10)
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2. Τσαμίσης Π., Η Kαστοριά και τα μνημεία της, Αθήναι, 1949
3. Πελεκανίδης Σ., Καστορία. Βυζαντιναί τοιχογραφίαι, Thessaloniki, 1953
4. Pelekanidis S., I piu antichi affreschi di Kastoria, 1964
5. Wharton-Epstein A., Middle Byzantine Churches of Kastoria: Dates and Implications, 1980
6. Πελεκανίδης Σ., Χατζηδάκης Μ., Καστοριά, Athens, 1984
7. Panayiotidi Μ., La peinture monumentale en Grèce de la fin de l’Iconoclasme jusqu’à l’avènement des Comnènes (843-1081), 1986
8. Μουτσόπουλος, Νικόλαος Κ. , Εκκλησίες της Καστοριάς, 9ος–11ος αιώνας, Thessaloniki, 1992
9. Δρακοπούλου Ε., Η πόλη της Καστοριάς στη βυζαντινή και μεταβυζαντινή εποχή (12ος – 16ος αι.) Ιστορία-Τέχνη-Επιγραφές, Athens, 1997
10. Subotić G, A Portrait of an Unknown Bulgarian Empress, 1998-99
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