Introduction
Kastoria is one of the most beautiful towns in all Greece. It is located on Lake Orestiada in the northwestern part of the country. Its position on a narrow hilly peninsula that widens dramatically as it projects into the lake provides a natural fortification, which was recognised from early on by its inhabitants and potential attackers.
The history of Kastoria goes back to the antiquity. It was fortified some time in the Early Christian period and by the end of the 9th century it had grown into a major centre in Western Macedonia. The city belonged to the Byzantine Empire, but its ownership was contested around the end of the first millennium. Kastoria was occupied by the Bulgarians for several decades in the 10th and early 11th centuries, and the Normans briefly held it in the 1080s. It enjoyed a stable peace under the rule of Komnenian dynasty in the 12th century, but in the subsequent centuries it fell continuously from one local or regional power to another. It was captured conclusively by the Ottomans in around 1385.
When it comes to architecture, Kastoria is, first and foremost, famous for its churches. There are around 70 churches from the 9th to the 19th centuries in its historical centre, which is a large number considering the small size of the city. The most important of these churches are from the Middle Byzantine period. The city is also notable for its well-preserved Ottoman mansions.
Below I will introduce seven churches of Kastoria from the 9th to the 12th centuries. These are all small structures, as they were built as private churches or the katholika of small monasteries. They are either aisleless churches or three-aisled basilicas, and there is even one domed triconch in the city. On their façades we can admire rich cloisonné masonry (i.e., natural stones in the frames of bricks), with decorative letters, geometrical patterns, bands of dentils and occasional sun motifs. The churches also have outstanding fresco decorations with diverse iconographic programmes, showing their donors’ and painters’ familiarity with the artistic trends of Constantinople and Thessaloniki, the centres of the Byzantine Empire. The churches were in continuous use over the centuries, as shown by the different layers of frescoes in all of them.
My list includes the most important Middle Byzantine churches in Kastoria, but it is no way complete. It does not include the churches from the Late Byzantine period in the city. Also, it is worth to note that under the Ottoman rule, church building and fresco painting continued unabated in Kastoria, as shown by the presence of many ‘Post-Byzantine’ churches here. The continuation of the trends of Byzantine architecture and painting under the Ottoman rule in Kastoria deserves a separate portfolio.
One should not forget the Byzantine Museum of Kastoria when talking about the Byzantine heritage of the city. It is, in my opinion, one of the best Byzantine museums in Greece, exhibiting wonderful pieces of religious art from the 12th to the 17th century. I express my gratitude to the employees of the museum who were kind enough to open for me the doors of many of the city’s churches and share with me materials about them. The museum also has a good website with an interactive map of heritage sites.
In the compilation of this portfolio I also consulted the following publication: Eugenia Drakopoulou, ‘Kastoria. Art, Patronage and Society’, Heaven and Earth, Cities and Countryside in Byzantine Greece, Athens: 2013, pp. 114-125. This article is highly recommended for those who are interested in more contextual information about the Byzantine heritage of Kastoria. The following websites were also of great help: Digital Kastoria, Exploring the Byzantine World, and Roads of Balkan Painters and Post-Byzantine Artistic Heritage in Bulgaria.
Sites
My portfolio consists of the following sites:
- Church of Agios Stefanos | south end of Palaiologou Street | mid-9th to early 10th century
- Church of Panagia Koumpelidiki | south end of Karavaggeli Street | mid- 9th to first half of 11th century
- Church of Taxiarchis Mitropoleos | south end of Mitropoleos Street | 9th, 10th or 11th century
- Church of Taxiarchis Oikonomou (Gymnasiou) | junction of Karavaggeli & Mitropoleos Streets | 10th century
- Church of Agioi Anargyroi | east end of Agion Anargyron Street | 10th to early 11th century
- Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa | Mavriotissis Street, 3 km southeast of town centre | late 11th or early 12th century
- Church of Agios Nikolaos of Kasnitzis | Omonoia Square | second half of 12th century
Map
See the mentioned sites on the map.
Portfolio
Photos
Taken in February 2019