St. Dionysius Catholic Church

What I can see

The entrance of the church consists of Tuscan-style columns, while on the lateral sides of the church there are four large windows. Kaftanzoglou adapted the architectural style of the church into Athenian classicism and avoided the grandiose design of his predecessors. The same applies to the interior, with the most important elements being its Tuscan columns, whose bases and capitals are made from Pentelic marble, while their logs are made from Tinian marble. The simplicity of the exterior was not respected by the artisans of the interior, who decorated the church intensely. Among them were the royal workshops of Munich (see the vitraux on the windows), Billancioni (see the sanctuary apse’s mural) and Galliardi (portable icons).

What I can't see

After the independence of the country, the Catholic community of Athens appealed to Catholics abroad in order to undertake construction of their own church in the city. The community chose to build the first Catholic church in the place where it had initially proposed a cathedral. The original design by Leo von Klenze, the architect of the Bavarian King, adopted an Italian Renaissance style and was modeled after St. Boniface in Munich. Athens’ Catholic community did not like Klenze’s design and the project was reassigned to Boulanger, whose plans were rejected because of similar objections, but also for financial reasons. Construction was completed under Kaftanzoglou, who modified Klenze’s original design.

Info

• Postal Code : 10672
• Phone: +30 210 3623603
• E-mail: [email protected]

Bibliography