Listed 2 sub titles with search on: Places of worship for wider area of: "FILIATRA Small town MESSINIA" .
CHRISTIANOUPOLI (Village) FILIATRA
In terms of architecture, it is the most important Byzantine church
of Messenia. It comprises two adjoined buildings, the church and a structure to
the west. The church is of the composite, octagonal domed type, distinguished
by the careful "cloisonne" masonry, decorated with large stone crosses on the
lower sections of the walls. The facades are plain, with very poor brick and sculpture
ornaments. Few fragments of wall paintings, dated to the 12th century, are preserved
inside the church.
During the Medieval period, the church was the Cathedral of the metropolitan
bishopric of Christianoupolis, which was established at the end of the 11th century.
The building attached to the west of the church was used as an episcopal palace
and possibly as a defensive tower in the Late Byzantine period.
The monument is dated to the 11th or, most likely, to the 12th century
A.D. The monument was half-ruined and restored to its present form in 1951. Today
it functions as a parish church.
Near the site of Christianoi, the following monuments are worth visiting:
the traditional settlement of Kyparissia with the important castle called
"Arcadia", built during the Byzantine period,
the small churches of Analepsis (13th century), St. George Bourianon (17th
century) and Panaghia Vlacherna (first half of the 19th century) at Philiatra.
In terms of architecture it is the most important Byzantine
church of Messinia.
It includes two buildings; the church and the adjoining to it building.
The church is of the compound octagonal type and it is characterised
by carefully constructed walls (brickenclosed system with big stone crosses on
the lower part of the long walls) as well as the austerity of its appearance (limited
ceramic and sculptured decoration).
In the interior, few frescos are saved which date back to the 12th
century.
During the Byzantine Years it constitutes the cathedral of the Metropolis
Christianoupolis which was founded at the end of the 11th century and was dedicated
to the Transformation of our Saviour.
The additional structure in the west of the church was used as an
episcopal manor and probably - in the late Byzantine period(1204-1460) - as a
defensive turret.
The monument dates back to the 11th or - according to the most - the
12th century and it is used today as a church.
This text is cited Jan 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
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