The church of Panagia Drosiani
The Church of Panagia Drosiani, all that survives of
the monastery named after it, is located in inland Naxos,
on the road to the village
of Chalki in Tragaia.
Sources from the 16th and 17th century refer to the Monastery of Our Lady, but
the church is much older, probably dating to the 6th century.
The
church is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, and was built in several
phases. The original building was a small, single-nave domed tri-conch built of
rough stones in a somewhat clumsy, inexperienced manner. The dome is almost
conical and supported by pointed arches; rather than being circular, the base
resembles a quadrilateral with rounded corners. The easternmost of the three
conches is the sanctuary, with a large biforate arched window that was
partly walled up when the church was decorated for the first time in the 7th
century. Traces of an episcopal throne are visible in the conch. Α
vaulted rectangular structure was added to the west side of the original
building in a later phase, with bell towers over the gates of the west and
south side.
In the final building phase three chapels were added to the north wall of the
extension to the original building. They are contiguous, single-roomed domed
structures, with three conches in the outermost chapels. The eastern one
appears to have been used as an ossuary and bears remnants of wall paintings.
The church interior was adorned with successive layers of frescoes dated to the
12th, 13th and 14th century. On removal, the original frescoes dated to the 7th
century were revealed in the dome, the apse of the central conch and the
northern conch of the original church. These are probably the most complete
iconographic programme still surviving from the pre-iconoclast era; dedicatory
inscriptions indicate that they were sponsored by many donors, including the
Bishop of Sisini.
In
the dome, the unique dual representation of Christ as a young boy and mature
man with a beard is probably linked to the Monophysite controversy, as an
attempt to interpret the doctrine of the dual nature of Christ.
The Ascension is depicted in the sanctuary
conch, alongside Panagia Nikopoios (Our Lady Victorious) with Agioi Anargyroi
(the Unmercenary Saints) painted in medals in the north conch, above one of the
oldest representations of the Supplication. The Virgin Mary is referred to as
"Saint Maria"; the presence of Solomon and an imperially robed form
identified as the personification of the Church indicates that the fresco is
linked to the meaning of the Wisdom of God.
Subsequent painting layers have now been removed from the monument. Those
covering the original Ascension of Christ in the sanctuary apse repeat the
Supplication theme, and one of them is signed by someone named George. In
around 1300 the half-cylinder of the apse was re-decorated with a
representation of the Virgin Mary, while individual representations of saints from
the 13th and 14th centuries covered surfaces in the
sanctuary and northern conch.
Glossary (9)
Nativity of the Virgin Mary:
one of the feasts of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on September 8th.
triconch:
building with three apses.
apse or conch:
Semicircular
structure
at the east end
of a basilica. Internally covered by a semidome,
while externally
with a tiered
roof; can be
horseshoe shaped,
rectangular or
polygonal.
double light or biforate window:
window with two openings that form an arc at the top. The openings are usually separated by mullions.
chapel:
small
sized church, either
independent, belonging
to a religious foundation, or part of
a larger
church.
In Byzantium chapels were often
used for burials.
Pre-iconoclastic period:
period between the end of the Justinian era (565) and the beginning of the iconoclast controversy (726).
Monophysitism:
christian denomination that only accepts the divine nature of Christ, not his human side. Prevalent in the early Christian era, especially in the Eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire (Syria, Palestine, Egypt).
medallion:
rounded piece of metal (coin) with incised or stamped decoration. Used to commemorate important events and honour persons for their services. In painting, the term is used to refer to a portrait of Christ or a saint within a circular disc.
Deisis(Supplication):
Artistic rendition of Jesus flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. Referred to as the Megali Deisis when Archangels, Apostles and Saints are also depicted.
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Bibliography (8)
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