Επανεξέταση του καθολικού της Ζωοδόχου Πηγής, Δερβενοσάλεσι
Part of : Δελτίον της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας ; Vol.35, 1994, pages 25-36
Issue:
Pages:
25-36
Parallel Title:
Re-examination of the Katholikon of the Zoodochos Pege Monastery, Dervenosalesi
Section Title:
Articles
Abstract:
Previous studies on the architecture of the katholikonof the monastery of Zoodochos Pege (Life-GivingSpring) near the village of Pyle, formerly Dervenosalesi,in Boiotia (Orlandos 1935; Bouras 1977-79) were notsufficiently complete. Here, an attempt has been madeto present a new study of the monument, one of themost important middle Byzantine monasteries in mainland Greece.The main church of the Zoodochos Pege is in ruins,while the spacious narthex (lete) underwent in 1890 amakeshift repair and conversion into a self-containedchurch. Various extant elements allow an approximatereconstruction of the main church (domed four-columninscribed cross) and a much more certain one of thenarthex-lete. It is also possible to reconstruct two sepulchral side-chapels built a little later than the mainbuilding, on the south side of the katholikon.The narthex-lete is one of the very few pseudo-octagonmonuments of the middle Byzantine period and bearswitness to the attempts to renew church interior duringthe Comnenian period. The form of the façade with twotombs on either side of the entrance indicates that thefounders, who were probably interred wherein, wishedto give posthumous prominence to themselves. Theformal features of the narthex place it in the 12th century, and certain elements (such as the impressive pylonon the west side which may have originally been thelower part of a bell tower) are of particular interest.Various architectural members of white marble, now inbad condition and scattered around the grounds of themonastery or included in the more recent walls, can onstylistic grounds be dated to the 11th century. Theycome mostly from the main church. Very few belong tothe 12th century.There are many specific similarities between our monument and the katholikon of Hosios Meletios on mountKitheron. This goes to support the view held by A. Orlandos that the monastery of the Zoodochos Pege isnone other than the monastery of the Virgin «τηςΘεομήτορος» which Hosios Meletios himself erected,according to information provided by his Synaxarion.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
