Churches of Kastoria

The Kastoria city of Western Macedonia in Greece is known for its churches.^[1] Historically, the city has been ruled by many entities, including the Serbian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The amount of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches proves the development and richness of the city through the different ages.

Panagia Koumpelidiki

Panagia Koumbelidiki church in Kastoria

Panagia Koumpelidiki is one of the oldest churches in the town. Many opinions exist on the age of the church. While all dating efforts until today have failed, archaeologists managed to define a timeframe within which the church was built. Based on this time frame, the church is placed between the 9th and 11th century.

The church is a Triconch Temple, located in the acropolis of Kastoria, inside the Justinian Walls, and is the only one in town with a dome, from which it took its name (from the Turkish word kubbe, meaning dome).

The original interior decoration dates back to the period 1260-1280. Two more layers of wall paintings followed, one in the 15th and one in the 17th century. The external wall painting are placed in 1496.

In the arch of the inner narthex stands the most remarkable and rare piece of wall painting, the depiction of the Holly Trinity. This mural reflects the doctrine of the Catholic Church, according to which the Holy Spirit proceeds 'from Father and Son', a fact that leads us to conclude that the painter was directly connected with the Western Church and deeply influenced by it .

In 1940, the church was bombed by the Italian forces, leading to the destruction of the dome.

References

1. Epstein, A. W.. (1980). Middle Byzantine Churches of Kastoria: Dates and Implications. The Art Bulletin, 62(2), 190–207.