Church of Our Lady Chrysokastriotissa
The church of Our Lady Chrysokastriotissa is of neobyzantine architecture with neoclassical elements.
Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )
Ottoman era (1453- 1821)
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
The church’s original architecture is of the 12th century. Its current architecture is based on that of the 17th century.
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The church of Our Lady Chrysokastriotissa was built on top of an ancient sanctuary of Hestia, it is a single-aisled basilica and its current architecture differs significantly from its original one, as it suffered severe damage during the Greek War of Independence. It was restored during the first years of Greek independence and its architecture is neo-Byzantine, but the propylon has obvious neoclassical elements.
What I can't see
According to tradition, the icon of the Virgin Mary is miraculous, especially for children and infants. It comes from the Parthenon, when it was a Byzantine church and then was occupied by the Franks (1204) and perhaps that is why the icon was called Kastriotissa (“kastro” means castle in Greek) or Chrysokastriotissa (the Acropolis was called “castle”). According to another version, this name may be connected to the Kastriotis family. Before the Greek War of Independence, the faithful never let the candle in front of the icon go out, something that continues to this day.
Info
- Address: 9 Thrassyvoulou & Alimperti St.
Bibliography
Field observation by scientific editors
