Monasteries of GreeceTauris Parke Books, 1996 - 224 σελίδες Dramatically sited monasteries, built on cliff-tops or hidden in remote valleys, are one of the most characteristic sights of rural Greece. Around two hundred, some small, others more like fortified hill towns, lie scattered across the country, from the central Peloponnese to the narrow peninsulas of southern Macedonia, from the heights of Thessaly to the remotest Greek isle. This book takes us inside some of the more remarkable houses; to the semi-autonomous theological community of Mount Athos, the leading centre of orthodox monasticism for over a thousand years, and to the soaring pinnacles of the Meteora massif, site of the perched 'monasteries of the air'. On Patmos, the holiest island, stands the fortified Monastery of Saint John, near the grotto where, according to tradition, Saint John had his Apocalyptic vision. And in the central Peloponnese lie the ruins of Mistra, once the 'Florence of the Orient', where the last group of medieval monasteries were built during the final flourish of Byzantine power. These monasteries contain some of the greatest and most venerated treasures of the orthodox world: fragments of the True Cross, ornate reliquaries and innumerable icons. The monastery churches of Daphni and Saint Luke glitter with an astonishing cycle of eleventh century mosaics, while others are decorated with Byzantine frescoes of saints and martyrs and biblical scenes. Greek monasticism grew out of the early eremitic communities of the Near East. Its fortunes waxed and waned with the rise and fall of the Byzantine empire. During the Turkish occupation it helped sustain the Greek spirit and played a role in launching the war of independence. In free Greece many monasteries wereclosed. Yet today several thousand monks, black-clad figures from the past, still follow rites little changed since the days of Byzantium. |
Περιεχόμενα
OUT OF THE DESERT | 9 |
IN THE SHADOW OF BYZANTIUM | 19 |
The Second Golden Age The Cistercians and the Fourth | 40 |
Πνευματικά δικαιώματα | |
6 άλλες ενότητες δεν εμφανίζονται
Συχνά εμφανιζόμενοι όροι και φράσεις
abbot artists ascetic Athanasius Athonite became began bishops Broad Rock Byzantine capital catholicon cells centre chapel Christ Christian Christodoulos coenobitic colour Constantinople Cretan school Crete Curzon Daphni decorated Dionysiou Monastery Dochiariou dome eleventh century emperor Father founded fourteenth century frescoes GREECE OPPOSITE Greek monks Gregory hermits hesychast Hilandar Hodeghetria Holy Mountain icon iconoclastic iconodules idiorrhythmic imperial important Ioannina island Iviron Iviron Monastery Joasaph John's Monastery Karyes later Lavra leading monastery libraries lived Luke's Macedonia manuscripts Meteora Meteoron Michael Mistra monas MONASTERIES OF GREECE monastery churches Monastery of Saint monastery's monastic monasticism monks mosaics Mount Athos narthex Nicephorus number of monks nuns Orthodox Church Ottoman Pachomius paintings Palaiologus Palamas Pantocrator Patmos patriarch Peloponnese peninsula priest Protaton refectory religious remained ruling monasteries Russian Saint John Saint Panteleimon scenes SHADOW OF BYZANTIUM skete soon sought spiritual Stavronikita Studium sultan teries Theodore Thessalonika Thessaly tradition Turkish Turks Varlaam Vatopedi Virgin walls