Agioi Theodoroi is an 11th
century distyle cross-in-square church. According to an
inscription above the western entrance it was founded in 1049 or 1065 by one Nikolaos
Kalomalos, a Byzantine official of the town who had the office of
Spatharocandidatos or imperial bodyguard. It was built on the
foundations of an older church, whose proportions influenced the present one; its
three apses are unusually prominent, probably following the lines of a more
massive predecessor.
It
is typical of other churches built in the city’s Golden Age of Byzantine art.
For reasons I am not sure, it is not my favourite although it has all of the
hallmarks of the architecture of that era,
the slim Athenian dome, the cloisonné
exterior masonry with bands of ornamental brickwork, marble lintels, relief
decorations and kufic lettering running around the north, west, and south sides. Possibly
it is the location on such a busy square. Its exterior shows the signs of
Athens’ smog and the air conditioners stuck on the brickwork of the apse are somewhat jarring.
The interior is almost exotically elaborate, much of it reflecting 19th
century tastes. The tulip or chalice shaped
pulpit is particularly ornate and, although by no means unique to this
church, it looks very much like it belongs with marble iconostasis and all that
silver casing in the background. The dove
on its lectern looks ready to take off at a moment’s notice.
The cross high up on top of the iconostasis is placed over a skull and crossbones, an odd symbol unless you know it is a symbol of Christ’s promised resurrection after death caused by the original sin!
The frescoes
are 20th century by Athanasius Kandris. You can visit and see what you think and the plus here
is that this is one of Athens’ Byzantine churches that is open daily. Many locals
from nearby offices visit to light candles. There is a very pleasant lady whose
task it is to whisk away the candles the moment you light them, a phenomenon I
have noticed before and find quite disconcerting. I am never sure if the candle
has done its work before it is off to be recycled. The modern bell-tower incorporates fragments
of the marble iconostasis of the older church in its brickwork.
The Church in 1842
(Wikipedia)
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