(Hagios) Soter, Itylo
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/01/14/094 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Mani |
| Dates | 1909? |
| Donor/Creator |
Traquair, Mr Ramsay |
| Scope and Content | South façade. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back. |
| Further information | The area in the middle of the Peloponnese, on the Laconia/Messinia border, was known as early as the 10th c. as the ‘Mani’. It was occupied by the Slavs in the early Medieval period and was christianised in the 10th c. by Hosios Nikon. There are scores of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches in the Mani: the first major phase of building activity in the region seems to run from the late 10th to the later 12th c. The church of (Hagios) Soter was built close to Itylo castle at around the end of the 13th/the beginning of the 14th c. It is of the two-column cross-in-square type. The monument does not have a narthex: instead an arched loggia opens out to the road. On the top of it is the belfry. The masonry is rough and irregular of poor quality. Ancient spolia as well as architectural members from the old Episcopal church upon which Soter was built were used in the monument. Parts of the building were restored in the 20th c. Frescoes decorate the interior. |