Supervisors info:
Γεώργιος Πάλλης, Επίκουρος καθηγητής Βυζαντινής Αρχαιολογίας και Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Αναστασία Δρανδάκη, Επίκουρη καθηγήτρια Βυζαντινής Αρχαιολογίας και Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Ιωάννης Βαραλής, Αναπληρωτής καθηγητής Βυζαντινής Αρχαιολογίας και Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας-Αρχαιολογίας και Κοινωνικής Ανθρωπολογίας, Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας
Summary:
The Blachernae monastery, located near the medieval port of Glarentza and castle Chlemoutsi (Clermont), in cape Chelonatas, in the northwest of Elis, is one of the most important monuments of the so called franco-byzantine architecture, in Peloponnese. The monastery was built during the 13th century and after the Frankish occupation of Elis, in 1205, it has been used by Franciscan monks. In 1431, Constantine XI Palaiologos conquered Glarentza and Blachernae was given to Orthodox monks. The complex maintained its monastical function until the third quarter of the 20th century. In now days the monastery functions as a nursing home.
The katholikon, that belongs to the type of the triple wooden roof basilica, is the only surviving structure of the original complex and it has a rich and diverse ceramic and sculptural decoration. The sculptural decoration consists of works from different historical periods, with the majority of them being Byzantine. In total, sixty three sculptures survive, dated between the 5th and 13th c., which make the katholikon of Blachernae as the medieval monument with the richest sculptural decoration in Elis.
The material consists of various types of sculptures, most of them in white marble and in second use, with few exemptions. There are capitals, imposts, jambs, base of sanctuary barrier, mullions, cornices, chancel screens, colonettes, pillars, epistyles and pseudosarcophagii. The majority has been immured in the facades of the church, for decoration purposes, while few of them have structural use. In Blachernae’s sculptures we can see most of the techniques that are in use in byzantine sculpture, while the decoration motifs have been drawn from the content-repertoire of this art (animal motifs, vegetable and geometric motifs, architectural ornamentation and crosses).
The purpose of this essay is the examination end evaluation of the Byzantine sculptures of the Blachernae monastery, since many of them are quite or entirely unknown to bibliography. The material show us the evolution of Byzantine sculpture in Peloponnese with the addition of many new elements. Furthermore, the examination of the sculptures complements our knowledge about the architectural history of the building and sheds new light in the relations between the Latins and the local population during the first decades of the Frankish rule, in the fields of architecture and arts.
Keywords:
Blachernae, Byzantium, Sculpture, Byzantine Sculpture, Elis, Monastery, Franks
