Omorphi Ekklesia
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/01/01/01/224 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Omorphi Eklesia Galatsi Athens |
| Dates | 1932? |
| Donor/Creator |
Megaw, Dr Arthur Hubert Stanley Casson, Dr H. |
| Scope and Content | Transverse section. The drawing is entitled: 'Omorfh Ekklesia Section Thro Narthex Looking E Drwg 3'. |
| Further information | This small distyle cross-in-square church in Galatsi, Athens was built in the late 12th c. It is dedicated to Hagios Georgios but it is known as the ‘Beautiful Church’ (‘Omorphi Ekklesia’) due to its elegant proportions and the impressive fresco decoration. In terms of architecture, it follows the middle Byzantine church-building tradition of the Greek mainland (‘Greek School’), however, the ornamental cloisonné is not consistently applied: the texture of the walling is much quieter, the exterior simpler. The narthex and the attached south chapel (parekklesion), which in terms of architecture bears strong western influences, are contemporary additions. The interior is decorated with wall-paintings produced by different artists during the second half of the 13th c. Stylistically, they can be associated with the wall-paintings of the Metropolis and the Hagioi Theodoroi church at Mistra, Peloponnese as well as with the surviving frescoes of the Olympiotissa church at Elassona, Thessaly. |