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Observations on the History of the Construction of the Church of Panagia Skripou in Boeotia

Articles

• Βογιατζής, Σωτήρης
• ΒΟΓΙΑΤΖΗΣ, Σωτήρης

The subject of this article is the well-known early middleByzantine monument at Orchomenos in Boeotia. Throughout its history this monument underwent repeated and major changes which, while not affecting its basic layout, certainly altered its shape. The present article will attempt to outline the history of these architectural changes. Phase 1: Original Construction, 873/4. The building was first built in 873/4 by the imperial Protospatharios Leo. This original ninth-century phase of construction can be observed in the lower layers of the church's masonry and is characterized by the use of large stones which were spolia from the neighboring archaeological site at Orchomenos. The surviving openings are arched and constructed with cut stone tholites, except for the windows of the prothesis and the diaconicon, where bricks were used. Phase 2: Middle Byzantine. A second phase of construction can be detected at certain points of the building (indicated by "a" in the drawings), specifically in a small section of the western corner in the southern arm and in the western corner in the northern arm. The method of construction here is similar to that of Phase 1, with the use of ancient stones and local limestone, both of large dimensions, which were probably taken from collapsed sections of the same monument. These stones are held together with large amounts of plaster, and their distinctive joints clearly differentiate them from the stones of the original phase. In this newer phase the use of dentil bands is replaced with other architectural elements. The western propylon belongs to this phase. This period of construction cannot be accurately dated due to the lack of other external elements. The Church of the Holy Savior (Agios Sozon) of Orchomenos, constructed in the 12th century, provides us with a terminus ante quern, since spolia from the Church of the Panagia were found incorporated in its masonry. Phase 3: Turkish Rule. Another period of construction has been detected during which smaller stones were used, as well as many spolia, such as carved ornaments, from the nearby monument, but these are arranged in simple courses alongside the other courses of masonry. The use of bricks is nowhere to be seen. The corners were reinforced with stronger cornerstones of the same material. The three-lobe windows on the upper level of the arms in the older phase were replaced with smaller three-lobe windows in which rough stones are used to separate the lobes. The lintels are single stone blocks whose shape is typical of the era of Turkish rule. Construction from this period can be noted in the upper part of the southern wall in the southern arm starting from the level of the three-lobe window (indicated by "ß" in the drawings). It ends at the pronounced join where the construction phases change at the western end of the wall and the ornamentation of the windowsills. Construction from this period can also be observed in the eastern wall of the eastern arm from the level of the apses upwards, but it does not extend to the side walls. The window that has been walled over in the central arch also reveals the same characteristics, as does the upper section starting at the carved epigraph. The frescoes in the niche of the sanctuary, which belong to the beginning of the 18th century, offer us a terminus ante quern, as they were painted after the window was walled over. Phase 4: Blocking up openings and other repairs. This phase involved the reduction of all the lower windows in the arms and the side bemata, as well as the windows in the southwestern corner section and the two-lobe windows and the doors in the northern and southern walls of the narthex. These changes probably belong to the third phase of repairs, which has been described above, but this cannot be verified since the changes cannot be accurately dated. Phase 5: Repairs of 1929-1939. In 1895 the church suffered major damage in an earthquake, and the extensive renovations that began in 1929 and continued for a decade gave the church the form it has today. This phase of construction is characterized by the use of small stones together with a great many bricks. In all probability the building's own materials were re-used. This phase extends to the entire upper part of the western wall and most of the northern wall in the northern arm. The upper section of the southern arm also belongs to this phase of construction, which extends to the entire upper part of the southern arm starting near the keystones of the windows in the lower level. The supporting arches in the church's interior were constructed at the same time, as were the arches in the northern and southern wings, all made of reinforced concrete. In all likelihood the floor inside the church was also laid with manufactured tiles at this time. In 1939 the old dome of the church was pulled down, and a new dome was built which still stands today; it is made of reinforced concrete, has a circular tympanum, and its exterior is faced with brickwork that has survived to the present. The church's bell tower was also built at this time. Phase 6: Alterations of 1960-66. These include less important changes, such as the demolition of the northern buttress and the removal of debris and cleaning up of the surrounding area. The various publications that have appeared over the years enable us to determine phases of construction for which evidence no longer exists. A. Photographs show a large buttress on the northern side, which supported the northern wall, and smaller ones on the roofs of the corner sections on each side of the northern and western arms. These supports were pulled down during the 1960 repairs. B. The shape of the old dome survives in photographs by Sotiriou and Strzygowski. In addition, Robert Schultz's complete architectural drawings of the dome and the entire church are located today in the British Archaeological School in Athens. This dome was 16-cornered on the outside and had small columns at the corner points supporting arched vaults. The walls of the dome had only four windows, but it is not known whether there were others that had been closed up. At the time the drawings were made, the dome was covered with plaster on the outside and the inside. The date of its construction is not obvious, but it probably belongs to the third phase of construction. If this assumption is correct, another intermediary dome was probably built during the second phase of repairs.

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• http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/deltion/article/view/4782
• http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/dchae.1200