Hagios Nikolaos sta Kampia
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/01/02/024 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Moni Agiou Nikolaou sta Kampia |
| Dates | 1888-1890 |
| Donor/Creator |
Weir Schultz, Mr Robert Barnsley, Mr Sidney Howard |
| Scope and Content | West façade. Further annotation in pencil survives at the back of the photograph. |
| Further information | The church of Hagios Nikolaos at Kampia, a former metochi of the monastery of Hossios Loukas, lies on the remote region west of present-day Orchomenos close to Skripou. It is an octagonal one-storey church with narthex and a burial crypt built almost exclusively by large perfectly cut blocks of lime. The almost complete absence of mortar as well as of ornamental brickwork in the walling -the monument is decorated by a single dentil course which surrounds the dome- is reminiscent of classical architecture. Although it must have been left unfinished the church of Hagios Nikolaos is well-designed and was very carefully executed: the marbles which were used for its construction are not ancient spolia but were cut exclusively for this purpose. The unfinished sculpture decoration of the monument, in particular the columns and the capitals in the nave, is similar to that of Hossios Loukas while both the church and the crypt were decorated with wall-paintings. Only those in the crypt survive to day in excellent condition. It is interesting to note that the crepidome at the east end of the church is approximately two metres low, a unique feature not exterior-visible. The church dates back to the second half of the 12th c. |