Cathedral of St. Dionysius Areopagita
The Cathedral of St. Dionysius Areopagita ( Greek Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Διονυσίου Αρεοπαγίτη ) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Athens . It bears the name of Dionysius Areopagita and is located on the Panepistimiou in the immediate vicinity of the Athens trilogy .
history
In 1847 the Catholic community in Athens bought a plot of land to build a cathedral, and construction began in 1853. The neo-renaissance building was designed by Leo von Klenze ; the street front was modeled on the entrance to the St. Boniface Abbey in Munich. Completion dragged on until 1865 due to the financing through donations. The architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou , head of the design faculty at the Technical University , supervised the implementation free of charge.
A donation from Emperor Franz Josef in 1869 made it possible to complete the interior work . The glass windows are by Karl de Bouché , the church was painted by Guglielmo Bilancioni (1836–1907) from Rimini, the floor is covered with Pentelic marble .
The St. Dionysius Cathedral has been a minor basilica since 1877 .
The building was damaged in the 1999 earthquake and had to be partially supported. From 2002 to 2004 the damage was repaired and the church was completely restored.
Web links
- Building description (Greek)
- Aghios Dionyssios Catholic Church (English)
Coordinates: 37 ° 58 ′ 44.8 " N , 23 ° 44 ′ 4.6" E