Dissertation committee:
Μαρία Κωνσταντουδάκη-Κιτρομηλίδου, ομότιμη καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Αθανάσιος Σέμογλου, καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης
Γεώργιος Πάλλης, επίκουρος καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Μαρία Ευθυμίου, καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Ιωάννα Στουφή-Πουλημένου, καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Θεολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Ιωάννα Μπίθα, κύρια ερευνήτρια του Κέντρου Έρευνας της Βυζαντινής
και Μεταβυζαντινής Τέχνης, Ακαδημία Αθηνών
Σταύρος Μαμαλούκος, αναπληρωτής καθηγητής, Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων, Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών
Summary:
The present thesis is a study of both the architecture and monumental painting of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches, located in the present-day Municipality of Acharnes. In the northern section of the Athenian basin, where the ancient demos flourished, the activity of a Byzantine and post-Byzantine settlement named Menidi is reflected in the establishment of a significant number of ecclesiastical monuments.
The introduction provides an overview of the features that comprise the geographical morphology and the natural environment of the area, followed by a detailed citation of existing research on these monuments, dating from the 19th century until today. The main body of the text is organized into two sections, beginning with a historical overview of Attica and the settlement of Menidi in the periods under review, and continuing with an analysis of the location of this settlement, the road network, neighboring settlements in the SE foothills of Parnitha, its demographic composition, economy and the livelihood of its inhabitants. The above information outlines the environment and the conditions in which the examined churches were built and decorated with frescoes.
Menidi, as mentioned in 1209 in the bull of Pope Innocent III, was a central village (kefalochori), in post-Byzantine and most likely late Byzantine times. It was also the largest economic and residential center of Attica, after Athens. Its strategic geographical position at the foothills of Mount Parnitha, the continuous cultivation of the mountain over time, the fertile arable lands around the river Kifissos and the special privileges enjoyed by the village during the Ottoman occupation, are some of the reasons that contributed to its development, despite the 6 centuries it was under foreign domination.
The second section of this study is the primary focus and thus the most extensive part of the thesis. It includes a list of monuments, organized on the basis of architectural type. Each entry is accompanied with data derived from previous research. Moreover, the position of each church in the modern urban fabric is noted. The information that follows, both historical and originating from folklore, demonstrates the special importance that each church had for the local community. The documentation of restoration works performed on the monuments, either essential or arbitrary, in combination with the additional works performed by the Archaeological Service, comprise the history of each monument and help us better understand its current form. The examination of the architecture and the mural decoration of each church is carried out in a detailed manner, including respective comparisons with related monuments of Attica and nearby areas. The research findings are used in synthetic chapters, where the characteristics of the architecture and painting of the Menidi monuments are identified, and their place in the artistic environment of Attica is determined.
It would appear that Menidi’s inhabitants were active over an extensive area. From the end of the 12th to the beginning of the 19th century, churches were established in the center of the settlement, in its periphery, but also on the mountain of Parnitha. They were used as main monastery churches (katholika), as cemetery and private chapels. Well-known architectural solutions were applied without any substantial particularities. The small size of most monuments reflects the limited financial capabilities of the owners, who likely belong to powerful local families or local clergy.
In the late Byzantine frescoes of St. Nikolaos in Varympompi and St. Ioannis the Forerunner, stylistic and iconographic elements were found, connecting them with a well-known provincial painting workshop of the 4th decade of the 13th century. The high aesthetic decoration of these monuments likely indicates the ambitious intentions of its owners, who unfortunately remain unknown.
At the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, St. Nikolaos at Loutro was built, which was a monastery’s katholikon. There are obvious correlations to be noted with the katholika of Hymettus’ monasteries and especially that of Asterios, which firmly place it in the same category of Attica churches. These churches consciously apply Byzantine architectural types and forms. The mural decoration, although conservative in its approach, is nevertheless rendered with precision, evidence of the owner’s utmost care.
The majority of Menidi’s post-Byzantine churches were established and decorated in the 18th century. They are built as single-aisled structures, either vaulted or with a wooden roof, generally perceived as buildings of humble intentions. Several of these churches are decorated with frescoes, which are reminiscent of the techniques particular to the school of Georgios Markou, as is the case with many other churches of Attica. Epigraphic evidence supports the theory that the painter from Argos worked in the center of the settlement, in the middle of the 18th century.
From the end of the 12th century until Independence, Menidi’s inhabitants utilized a fairly extensive area with many advantages. Despite the difficulties and adversities faced during centuries of foreign occupation, they were able to play a leading role in the area of northern and northeastern Attica. The study of Menidi’s churches, significantly enriches our knowledge of the respective period, in terms of its architecture and painting.
Keywords:
Architecture, Frescoes, Monumental painting, Menidi, Acharnes, Parnitha, Georgios Markou
