Listed 7 sub titles with search on: Sights for destination: "CHALKIO Village CHIOS".
AGIOS GEORGIOS SYKOUSSA (Village) CHIOS
VAVILI (Village) CHIOS
The church belongs to the insular octagonal architectural type, and
in a small degree reproduces the catholicon (main church) of Nea
Moni. It comprises a domed naos, an esonarthex and an exonarthex, today completely
ruined. The domed naos and the esonarthex were built at the end of the 12th century
while the exonarthex is a much later addition, constructed in the 18th century.
The greatest part of the interior is covered with wall paintings dated to the
12th century.
The church was constructed at the end of the 12th century. It was
donated by Eustathios Codratos and his wife, Eirene Doucaina Pagomeni, both belonging
to the imperial court of Constantinople.
The donors decorated the church with wall paintings but five more layers of murals
are preserved inside the building. During the catastrophic earthquake of 1881,
the hemispherical part of the dome collapsed, along with the smaller dome of the
narthex, which was reconstructed shortly thereafter.
The foundations at the eastern part of the church were investigated
by means of trial trenches in 1988 and again in 1995. The roof of the church was
consolidated and repaired in 1968. In 1983 the west wall of the exonarthex was
also consolidated and the roof was partly repaired. In 1981-1984, the later layers
of the wall paintings were detached from the interior walls and the original layer
was completely uncovered.
Some of the detached wall paintings have already been restored and
are on display while the rest are still in the process of restoration. The detached
wall paintings of the second Byzantine layer, depicting twelve prophets (dated
to the end of the 14th century), as well as two marble slabs from the original
iconostasis of the church are exhibited in the building for temporary exhibitions
(Giustiniani Palace)
in the Fortress of Chios. Parts of the murals which were painted by Michael Chomatzas
in 1734 are also on display in the Byzantine
Museum of Chios (Medjitie Mosque).
The monument is closed to the public (it opens only during the summer)
due to restoration work inside the building and at the wall paintings.
Among the countless churches and the small picturesque chapels which
decorate the colonizings of the Municipality of Kampochora, the church of Panagia
Krina holds a special place. Between the colonizings of Vavili, Halkios and Zifias,
surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape with olive groves and pine trees,
the temple resists vigorously to the passing of time and carries its history to
the present day. It is considered to be a golden ring in the chain of the religious
tradition of the island. The initial temple was built in the 12th century, the
outer one was added in the 18th century. As owners of the initial temple are mentioned
Eustathios Kordatos and his wife Irene Doukena Pagomeni, who belonged to the imperial
court of Constantinople.
The shape of the temple is octagonal and looks like the one of Nea
Moni, keeping however its unique brightness, with the irregularly built walls
allowing the sunlight to "revive" the church and its wonderful wallpaintings differently
according to the light of the day. The first hagiographies were made, according
to an inscription, in 1197. But inside the temple there are five more different
kind of hagiographies, each from a different period, that are maintained until
today and give the visitor an image of the development of the art of painting
in Chios. The second decoration, of the Byzantine period, was done at the end
of the 14th century. From this the icons of the twelve prophets have been rescued
and are now exhibited at the . The paintings of the third period, also Byzantine,
can be seen on the wall of the North and the South temple, while the ones of the
post-Byzantine period remain in the Altar.
In the year 1734 the whole temple was almost covered by the hagiographies
of the artist Michael Homatza and after the destructive earthquake of 1881, the
paintings of the Ruler of Everything and the Angels were painted on the dome.
A few years ago, the works for the maintenance of the church started and it is
remarkable how the specialists have managed to separate and restore parts of all
the painting styles. These maintenance works continue until today.
AGIOS GEORGIOS SYKOUSSA (Village) CHIOS
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
