Panagia Kera (Kritsa)

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Panagia Kera Church
Back of the church

The Greek Orthodox Church Panagía Kerá ( Greek Παναγία Κερά , German "All Holy Mistress") is located near Kritsa on Crete ( Greece ) not far from the Lasithi plateau . This church is sometimes called Panagía i Kerá or Panhagia Kera and is dedicated to the feast of Mary . The church dates from the 13th century and houses well-preserved and restored Byzantine frescoes . It is a three-aisled domed church. The two vaulted side aisles are later additions to the original church. There are other churches that bear this name.

architecture

The Greek Orthodox Church is just outside Kritsa and is surrounded by olive and cypress trees. It is a three-aisled dome building . The accessible area is about 100 m².

The central nave is the oldest part of the church, its wall paintings date from the beginning of the 13th century. The dome of the central nave is structured and supported by four rib arches.

The south aisle was added in the first half of the 14th century, the north aisle probably later, the exact date is unclear. Both aisles are covered with a vault. The retaining walls of the outer aisles are drawn down to the ground on both sides, which gives the church its peculiar appearance. This is to protect the statically not quite successful vault from breaking apart. It can be assumed that the three naves come from different donor families.

Interior design

South aisle
Panagia Kera floor plan

The interior is painted with numerous Byzantine frescoes . All styles of Cretan church painting are represented here, from given shapes and rigid schemes to soulful depictions of personality with facial expressions and expressions.

Central nave

The oldest frescoes can be found in the central nave, which is dedicated to the "All Holy Mistress" Maria . Here the colors are very dark and the shapes are still stereotypical. The vault of the chancel shows the Ascension of Christ , on the western side you can see the kings David and Solomon . The motifs of the central nave extend through the entire church year (birth of Jesus, baptism in the Jordan , temptation of Christ , entry on a donkey in front of the gate of Jerusalem, communion , a destroyed crucifixion and many more). In addition to archangels , prophets and evangelists , the child murder in Bethlehem and the awakening of Lazarus are also depicted in the central nave . In addition, the saints George and Francis of Assisi can be seen, whose rare representation in an Orthodox church with tonsure and in a brown robe is due to the influence of the Venetians on Crete.

North ship

The north aisle is dedicated to St. Anthony . Here the frescoes are partly badly damaged. You can see the Pantocrator in the apse , the wall paintings of the north aisle show the Last Judgment and on the sides of the eastern part of the vault the twelve apostles. The founder of the church, Georgios Mazizanis, is shown with his wife and child. However, the dedicatory inscription does not mention him.

South aisle

The south aisle of the Panagia Kera is dedicated to St. Anna . The faces of the frescoes are expressive and look fresh. You can see scenes from the life of Mary and the announcement of the conception of Anna. Full-length saints are depicted frontally on the side walls, with a series of busts above them. St. Theodorus can be seen on the south wall , riding as a military leader on a sturdy horse that turns his head.

literature

  • Manolis Borboudakis: Panhagia Kera. Byzantine frescoes in Kritsa. Hannibal publishing house, Athens undated (reprint c. 2005/2010)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Manolis Borboudakis: Panhagia Kera. Byzantine frescoes in Kritsa. Hannibal publishing house, Athens undated (reprint c. 2005/2010), p. 3
  2. ↑ Manolis Borboudakis: Panhagia Kera. Byzantine frescoes in Kritsa. Publishing house Hannibal, Athens n.d. (reprint c. 2005/2010), p. 6
  3. ^ Lambert Schneider: Crete. 5000 years of art and culture. DuMont 1998, p. 215
  4. ^ Gerhard Sasse: Around Agios Nikólaos. In: Gerhard Sasse: Crete. Apa 1995, p. 216
  5. ^ Lambert Schneider: Crete. 5000 years of art and culture. DuMont 1998, p. 215
  6. ↑ Manolis Borboudakis: Panhagia Kera. Byzantine frescoes in Kritsa. Hannibal publishing house, Athens n.d. (reprint c. 2005/2010), p. 14
  7. ↑ Manolis Borboudakis: Panhagia Kera. Byzantine frescoes in Kritsa. Publishing house Hannibal, Athens n.d. (reprint c. 2005/2010), p. 57

Web links

Commons : Panagia Kera  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 35 ° 9 ′ 24.2 ″  N , 25 ° 39 ′ 18.5 ″  E