Books by Athanassios Mailis
Byzanz zwischen Orient und Okzident 18 , Jul 2020
The book researches the Bēma display of the Cretan churches in a time period spanning from the By... more The book researches the Bēma display of the Cretan churches in a time period spanning from the Byzantine re-conquest of the island (11th century) until the middle of the Venetian dominance (15th century). It focuses on the apparition and distribution of the Templon-barrier, the function of a certain group of frescoes as prostration images and the (partial) establishment of fresco-painted masonry screens at the Orthodox churches of the island, just before the prevalence of the »wooden wall of icons« – known as Iconostasis.
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
The book researches the Bēma display of the Cretan churches in a time period spanning from the B... more The book researches the Bēma display of the Cretan churches in a time period spanning from the Byzantine re-conquest of the island (11th c.) until the middle of the Venetian dominance (15th c.). It focuses on the apparition and distribution of the Templon-barrier, the function of a certain group of frescoes as prostration images and the (partial) establishment of fresco-painted masonry screens at the Orthodox churches of the island, just before the prevalence of the “wooden wall of icons”-known as Iconostasis.
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
BAR 2312, 2011
This study presents a synthetic approach to the study of architectural form and function of annex... more This study presents a synthetic approach to the study of architectural form and function of annexes to early Christian basilicas on the Greek mainland and Crete (4th - 6th centuries AD). The introductory section is in two parts: the first deals with the state of the research on sacristies (described as diaconica in Greek literature) and baptisteries. The part presents the liturgical and ecclesiastical sources from the early Christian period that illuminate (or obscure) the liturgical functions of certainparts of the church. The main part of the study comprises a catalogue of the monuments, which are registered in the five different dioceses of the Helladic area. Finally, the third part presents summarized conclusions, among which is the existence of eight individual types of annexes: 1) Baptisteries, 2) Sacristies, 3) Chapels, 4) Episcopal complexes, 5) Porches, 6) Rooms with domestic/agricultural function, 7) Towers/Staircases, 8) Funerary annexes.
Papers by Athanassios Mailis
This contribution seeks to interpret the topographic interrelation, as well as to capture the so... more This contribution seeks to interpret the topographic interrelation, as well as to capture the social dynamics between the Venetian Villa Viara in “Butzunaria”, its adjoining settlement that is called “Garipa” and the double church of Hagios Panteleimon-Hagios Dimitrios in the same region, at the Western part of Crete.
The paper researches the conversion of a monastic Orthodox chapel to a private Catholic oratory a... more The paper researches the conversion of a monastic Orthodox chapel to a private Catholic oratory at the settlement of Gharipa / Perivolia nearby Chania in Western Crete. The study focuses; a) on the initial iconographic program of the church, which is dated in the first half of the 15th century and it is connected to analogue decoration programs found at the churches of important Orthodox monasteries of the island; b) on the unique 16th century Renaissance frescoes that include painted Latin inscriptions concerning private devotion. The highly intellectual and artistic level of the later decoration implies its connection to a dignified personality demonstrating his Catholic faith as status symbol in the 16th century Crete
Le caractère éclectique de l'architecture des églises crétoises reflète une culture syncrétique, ... more Le caractère éclectique de l'architecture des églises crétoises reflète une culture syncrétique, qui a mêlé des éléments à la fois byzantins et vénitiens. Une rapide présentation de cette combinaison permettra d'apprécier ce milieu culturel exceptionnel.
This study researches an individual group of templon screens, which are found at three Cretan ch... more This study researches an individual group of templon screens, which are found at three Cretan churches of the 14th/15th c. This group displays typological and morphological features, which seem to break with the tradition of the middle Byzantine templa and to suggest the influence of a Latin architectural model. The specific Cretan group has much in common with façades of choir partitions (tramezzi), mostly of Italian origin. Despite the absence of sufficient archaeological evidence concerning the existence of tramezzi at the Helladic area, the written sources suggest the presence of such installations at the Latin churches of Crete, thus reinforcing the possibility of cultural and cultic exchanges between the Latin and the Orthodox populations of the island during the Late Medieval period.
Tο θέμα της παρούσας μελέτης αφορά στην εδραίωση του τοιχογραφημένου χτιστού τέμπλου στις εκκλησί... more Tο θέμα της παρούσας μελέτης αφορά στην εδραίωση του τοιχογραφημένου χτιστού τέμπλου στις εκκλησίες της Κρήτης κατά το 14ο και το 15ο αιώνα. Η συγκεκριμένη μελέτη περιλαμβάνει υλικά τεκμήρια που εντοπίστηκαν μέσα από τη διαδικασία της αρχαιολογικής έρευνας πεδίου κυρίως στη δυτική Κρήτη και δεν αποτελεί έναν εξαντλητικό κατάλογο ναών με χτιστά τέμπλα. Κύριος στόχος της είναι η ερμηνεία της ύπαρξης του χτιστού τέμπλου ως τμήμα της ευρύτερης μετάπλασης των λατρευτικών μορφών, δίνοντας ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην ερμηνεία αυτής της κατασκευής ως υλικού τεκμηρίου «ομολογίας πίστης» στις εκκλησίες του νησιού κατά την περίοδο της πρώιμης Eνετοκρατίας.
La basilique paléochrétienne et le cimetière plus tardif de Mariolata (Phocide) Mariolata a été é... more La basilique paléochrétienne et le cimetière plus tardif de Mariolata (Phocide) Mariolata a été établie sur le site de l'ancienne Charadra, en bordure de la route reliant le nord de la Grèce continentale au golfe de Corinthe. Dans la partie sud du site, on a identifié une basilique. Sa typologie architecturale et le style de ses mosaïques dénotent une probable construction dans la seconde moitié du V e siècle, avec des ajouts successifs dans la première moitié du VI e siècle. Le contexte archéologique indique que la destruction de la basilique n'est pas intervenue de manière violente, mais à la suite de l'abandon de cette zone : cela s'inscrit dans le cadre du déclin de la population de l'Illyricum oriental dans la seconde moitié du VI e et au début du VII e siècle. La réutilisation de cet espace, sans doute au IX e siècle, comme cimetière communautaire constitue un bon indice du redresse-ment démographique de la région ; on a donc là de nouveaux éléments quant au devenir d'une région clé de la Grèce, jusqu'ici non documentée par la recherche archéologique. [Auteur.]
Les recherches concernant l’architecture chrétienne en Crète se résument principalement à des fou... more Les recherches concernant l’architecture chrétienne en Crète se résument principalement à des fouilles entreprises dans les vestiges d’églises et à de courtes descriptions insérées dans des catalogues. Il en ressort une image fragmentaire des baptistères crétois, qui se voient systématiquement comparés à ceux de la Grèce continentale sans tenir compte de la présence de fonts baptismaux qui permettraient une identification plus sure. L’objectif de cette étude est de revenir sur ces données et de proposer une interprétation des aménagements architecturaux et liturgiques qui se fonde à la fois sur le matériel archéologique et les sources. Cette nouvelle lecture ouvre l’hypothèse, en Crète, d’une simplification du rituel du baptême que traduirait l’intégration des fonts baptismaux dans la partie orientale de l’église, contrairement à la tradition de la Grèce qui les séparait. Cet aménagement particulier attesterait en outre l’influence de différentes pratiques architecturales, provenant aussi bien du littoral de la mer Égée que d’Orient. [La Rédaction.]
Conference Presentations by Athanassios Mailis
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Books by Athanassios Mailis
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
Papers by Athanassios Mailis
Conference Presentations by Athanassios Mailis
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
This study reveals the artistic and cultic multiplicity of arrangements, consisting of archaism and modernization, until the crystallization of the Iconostasis as the »distinctive feature of churches of the Byzantine rite«, thus a material proof of cultural identity and religious consciousness of the Orthodox populace in an area (Crete) and a period (Venetian rule) that is characterized by both osmosis and conflict.
Obwohl die Handbücher der byzantinischen Kunst die gebauten Templa als provinzielle Varianten eines offiziellen Urtyps deuten, zeigen die liturgischen und ikonographischen Lösungen der Insel, dass diese Anlage nicht nur als eine einfache Trennung zwischen dem Altarraum und der Hauptkirche funktioniert, sondern als ein starkes symbolisches und materiales Zeugnis der orthodoxen Identität der Gemeinde.
Deswegen ist das Hauptziel dieser Forschung, die Existenz des kretischen Templons als Teil einer größeren Umgestaltung der Kultformen in Bezug auf die besonderen kulturellen Bedingungen zu interpretieren, die auf der Insel während der frühen venezianischen Zeit herrschten.
Speaker:
Dr. Athanasios MAILIS
(Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania - Director of the Department of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities)
"Architecture and Liturgy in Early Christian Greece. The Interpretation of Architectural Function According to Liturgical Models and the Cretan Baptisteries".
This event is organized by Dr. Lucia ORLANDI (Postdoctoral Scholar at the Italian Archaeological School at Athens).
December, Thursday 12th 2019, Italian Archaeological School at Athens, 'Doro Levi Lecture Hall', 5.00 p.m.