What I can see

The church of Agios Dimitrios Loumpardiaris was reconstructed by architect Dimitris Pikionis in the 16^th-century form. Pikionis used material from ancient, Byzantine and folk traditions, in which rural people used to build their houses with materials from their local areas. He applied this practice, thus combining architecture with everyday life. The wooden roof is a direct reference to the Greek monastery and the hut, as an archetypal origin of subsequent architecture.

What I can't see

According to tradition, in the 17th century and the eve of the feast of St. Demetrius, Yusuf Agha (Ottoman commander of the Acropolis) was preparing to bomb the church from the Acropolis, throwing a “loumparda” (= cannon shot), thereby killing all Christians who would have gathered there. However, a bolt of lightning struck the powder keg of the Acropolis, killing him and his family, except for his daughter, who then became Christian. From this legend arose the names Loumpardiaris, Bombardiaris, Lampardiaris and Lompardiaris, meaning bomber.

Info

• Address: Filopappou Hill

Bibliography