Kastoria is one of the most important cities of West
Macedonia, with a long History which cannot fade with the passing of time.
Proof of this, are the rich prehistorical and archaeological finds
(signs of habitations near the lake at Dispilio,
Armenohori e.t.c.). It was named after the mythological Macedonian hero Kastoria,
Jupiter's son.
Geographically the area has connections with the ancient Macedonian
state of 'Orestias' where the ancient Orestes used to live, having Argos
Orestikon, as their capital.
From this area the Macedonian kings started to join the rest of the
small states, which constituted the big Macedonian state having as its capital
Eges (Vergina)
and later Pella.
Initially, Philippos and later Alexander the Great joined this state
with the rest of the Greeks.
In Roman period Kastoria shared the same destiny as the rest of Macedonian,
however, it gained glory in the Byzantine years.
This is the city of the Byzantine 'Titoularios', the city of the Byzantine
architecture.
It developed and flourished to become an excellent religious, commercial,
artistic and military centre.
According to the famous Belgian specialist in Byzantine art Gregoire:
the city can write the History of the Byzantine art itself.
The castles which were built by Justinianos and Vassilios Voulgaroctonos
are examples of the interest which the Byzantine Emperors showed because of Kastoria
strategical position.
In the past Byzantine years, Kastoria had many benefactors and teachers
of Greek Culture, who were really outstanding.
It took an active part in the preparations for the Revolution of 1821
where it participated with a special group of fighters. The 19th century it took
part in Revolutionary movements in order to defeat the Turkish tyranny.
Kastoria played an important role in the Macedonian fight against
the Turks and Bulgarians. In 1912, it is joined with freed Greece.
The 75 Byzantine and others churches are samples of a higher civilization and
sociability of the city.
One can meet the architectural style of 'Basilica' as they are the
churches of Saint Stefanos,
Saints Anargyri, Saints Taxiarches, 'Monoclites' as Saint Nicola Kasnitzi church,
the Holy Virgin of
Mariotissa Monastery and the Holy
Virgin (Panagia) Koumbelidiki. All of them are perfectly built with excellent
structure with local materials, in a rich alternation of shapes and colors which
pour out from the same material and the good taste of the maker. The outer walls
are varied with perfect ceramics. The inners wallpaintings have great expressive
strength, which explains the metaphysics of Christianity and the Greek-Christian
spirit.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Municipality
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
After the Ottoman
conquest in 1386, many of the Christians living in Kastoria took refuge in
the nearby
mountains, while those who remained in the city were confined to the eastern
saddle of the peninsula. The Turks settled inside the Byzantine walls to the west,
while later the Jews settled between the Muslim and Christian neighborhoods to
the south.
Kastoria, a 'zeamet' (feudal fief) in 1519 and a 'hass' (estate belonging
to the Sultan) after 1526/28, was the seat of a deputy official and in 1875 became
the headquarters of a 'kaza' (administrative district). The principal factor in
the economic development of the Greek population was the processing and trading
of fur, with companies
founded as early as the 17th century in Constantinople
and such European cities as Vienna and Odessa.
The opening of a school in 1614, the visits of missionaries (Osios
Dionysios, Kosmas Aitolos), and contacts with Europe through emigrants contributed
greatly to the town's intellectual growth. One indication of its former prosperity
is the luxurious mansions erected between the late 17th century and the 19th century.
Kastoria was prevented from taking part in the revolution of 1822
by the presence of Ottoman troops, but in the early 20th century it became a breeding
ground for fighters yearning to liberate
Macedonia.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
The ancient 'Orestiada'
is located between two mountains, Vitsi
and Grammos, in Western
Macedonia.
In the middle of a circular plain, which is shaped from the above
mentioned mountains, is located the famous lake
'Orestias' and above this peninsula which just into it, is the city of Kastoria.
It is a city of 30.000 inhabitants, closely connected to its legendary
past and its great History, which is full of life and progress. One can reach
Kastoria by bus from Athens
- Larissa - Kozani
- Kastoria, Athens - Meteora
- Grevena - Kastoria, Thessaloniki
- Florina - Prespes
- Kastoria, Thessaloniki -
Edessa - Kastoria, Thessaloniki
- Veria - Kastoria -Yugoslavian
borders (Niki) - Florina
- Kastoria (and by way of Vitsi), Igoumenitsa
- Ioannina - Kastoria.
All these routes offer the traveler unforgettable sights with alternative
views of scenery, lakes, mountainous passes, forests and picturesque villages.
One can also reach Kastoria from Athens
by air.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Municipality
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
A titular see of Macedonia.
Castoria seems to have replaced Celetrum.
The Byzantine chroniclers describe it as a strong fortress. In the
tenth century it must have been occupied by the Bulgarians. About 1350 it was
given up by the Emperor Joannes Cantacuzene to the King of Servia,
and in 1386 it was captured by the Turks.
As early at least as the reign of Basil II, Castoria was the first
suffragan see of Achrida. The see still exists for the Greeks and has been made
a metropolitan. Some ten Latin bishops are known from the thirteenth to the fifteenth
centuries.
Castoria is today [1908] the chief town of a mutessariflik in the
vilayet of Monastir, with about 10,000 inhabitants -- Turks, Greeks, and Bulgarians.
It is also the see of a Bulgarian bishopric with 2224 families, 32 priests, and
22 churches.
S. Petrides, ed.
Transcribed by: Gerald M. Knight
This extract is cited June 2003 from The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent online edition URL below.
The Turkish traveler Evliyia Celebi describes the mansions of the
Greek quarter in 17th century Kastoria as being: "grand seraglios of a strange
and curious nature. All the houses on the shores of the lake possess boatsheds
and enclosed balconies. The seraglios are mansions with ports, and with one floor
above the other in the Constantinople style"
The lavishly decorated
houses in Kastoria, which were built by wealthy merchants
from the late 17th into the 19th century, have layouts which evolved from simple
rectangles into a cross enclosed within a square, without undergoing any change
in the arrangement or function of the rooms.
The ground floor contains the auxiliary and storage spaces, the mezzanine
a central area with a staircase and the winter rooms. The, usually two, best rooms
on the upper storey are arranged around a central reception area ('doxatos') with
'krevates' and 'kioskia', special raised daises with wooden railings.
The ground floor and mezzanine are built of stone and have only a
few openings (air shafts, small windows), while the upper storey and the covered
balconies are made of lighter material (varnished 'tsatmas', half timbering filled
with various types of rubble, and plastered), particularly the section overlooking
the lake or the inner courtyard, and illuminated by a double row of windows.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
The mansion of Kyr-Yiannakis Nantzis is located in the Doultso district,
in the vicinity of the church of Ayios Nikolaos, and must have been built around
1750. A painting in the wood-paneled room on the second floor bears the date 1796.
The arrangement of the rooms and the plan
of the house are especially unusual. The ground floor has a porch supported by
three columns. An outdoor staircase that closes with a trapdoor provides access
to the first floor.
Wall-paintings
with plant motifs combined with buildings are preserved in a small vaulted room
with the varnished and painted ceiling. The rooms with the most extravagant decoration
are the 'doxatos' and the 'kalos ondas' on the second floor, which are presided
over by a painting of Constantinople amidst images from the plant and animal kingdoms
(birds, lions), which are repeated in the wood carvings.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
The Tsiatsapas mansion is situated in the Apozari district on the
north shore of the lake. It was built at the start of the 18th century by a well-to-do
man named Moralis. Tsiatsapas must have ordered repairs in 1754, as stated in
the inscription on the west side and on the mural in the best room.
This is a grand mansion with a rectangular plan and three floors in
addition to the ground floor. Although the rooms on the third floor have been
lavishly decorated
with wall-paintings and wood carvings, they have been irreparably damaged at certain
points.
The painting of an imaginary city on the wall of the 'doxatos' (parlour)
and the stylized depiction of Constantinople
in the south-west room, dated by its inscription to 1798, are not only impressive
but important to our understanding of the folk
painting of the era.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
The mansion of Nerantzis Aivazis in the Doultso district has been
converted into a folk art museum. Although it contains no inscriptions to date
its construction, it must have been built during the second half of the 18th century.
Its plan
takes the form of a Greek pi but it lacks the usual projecting enclosed balconies.
It consists of a ground floor, mezzanine and upper floor. On the mezzanine,
the so-called "fur workshop"has a painted
ceiling and a concave cornice below it depicting buildings in a landscape.
Plant motifs ornament the walls of the 'doxatos' on the second floor as well as
the walls of the 'kalos ondas', on which Venice is portrayed "according to
the artist's imagination".
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
Foundation of the Hellenic World
The building of this museum is located on top of a hill where the
Byzantine acropolis once stood. It was inaugurated in 1989 and currently hosts
icon collections (second half of 12th c. - 17th c. AD) from various churches (of
Byzantine and Post-Byzantine style) in the town of Kastoria, sculpture, mosaic
works as well as woodwork and sacred items.
Some of the most important exhibits are:
•The Descent from the Cross (ca. 1400)
•The Icon of the Annunciation of Virgin Mary (16th c.)
•St Cosmas and Damian (14th c.)
•Icon of St. Nicholas (15th c.)
•Icon of Christ Pantocrator (14th c.)
This text is cited May 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs URL below.
Tel: +30 24670 28603
The Folklore Museum of Kastoria is lodged in the mansions of Nerantzi
Aivazi in the Doltso area.
The articles of the museum concern items used in older times and they
are connected to the activities of the people of Kastoria in their homes, their
work, their leisure and their social life. The articles concerning the fur process
are remarkable. The pavilion is divided into three areas, the kneading room, the
larder and the wine cellar.
On the mezzanine floor there is a room with a fireplace.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
It is the museum where safeguarded traditional local costumes of men
and women. It is lodged in the mansion of Emmanouel Brothers and possesses an
important collection of traditional costumes of Kastoria city and the wider region.
Its operation is based on the effort of the musical and philological club "ARMONIA",
which works and sees for its enrichment and its completion.
The exhibits include:
- Women's costumes
- Men's costumes
- Children's costumes
- A rich collection of coins
The museum preserves the cultural heritage of the region. It demonstrates
the way of life of the people of that time, the quality of life, and the relations
of the people of Kastoria with Europe and the rest of the world.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
Three-aisled basilica of the "Oriental" type, with a narthex and a
gallery. The aisles and the narthex are covered with barrel-vaults but over the
gallery the roof is semi-barrel vaulted. In the apse there is a synthronon (bench)
with a bishop's cathedra in the middle. A small chapel dedicated to St. Anne is
formend in the south section of the gallery.
Two layers of the wall paintings
of the church have been uncovered. The earlier, which dates from the end of
the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century, covers the narthex,
the side aisles, the middle aisle up to the height of the celestory, and part
of the gallery. The second layer, dated to the end of the 12th century, is visible
on the high celestory and the lower friezes of the pillars.
The
church has undergone several phases of restoration and protection work.
The triple-aisled basilica of Ayios Stephanos in Kastoria is one of
the oldest ecclesiastical monuments of the Balkan Peninsula. It has attractive
tile decoration and wall-paintings, the earliest of which date to the 9th century.
These wall-paintings are of exceptional significance as an example
of early painting reflecting a high level of iconographic and artistic attainment.
The painting is flat and abstract, with strange colour combinations, and the compositions
are geometrically arranged.
Some scattered dedicatory or liturgical scenes in the narthex and
on the lower sections of the walls in the main body of the church date to the
12th century. Scenes on the ceiling of this part of the church must have been
executed around 1200, while some others date to the 13th and 14th centuries.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
Triconch, domed church
founded in the 10th century. The exonarthex is a later addition. Three layers
of wall paintings are distinguished in the building: the earlier is dated
to 1260-1280 and is preserved on the arches of the naos
(except for the east) and on the walls of the esonarthex (except for the west).
A more recent layer, dated to the 17th century, covers the east arm of the cross,
the apse of the sanctuary, and the exonarthex.
The church was bombed in the 1940's and the dome and several parts
of the superstructure had collapsed. It was completely restored in the 1950's.
The Panayia (Virgin) Koumbelidiki or Skoutariotissa, a small triconch
church dated to the 10th century, has become the emblem of Kastoria. The small
dimensions of the church and its high dome with a variety of masonry work make
it an architectural gem of the city.
The 13th century wall-paintings are in poor condition. Their attraction
now lies largely in the Dormition of the Virgin at the west end of the main body
of the church, and in the rare representation of the Holy Trinity in the narthex.
Taken as a whole, the painting is conventional and lacks an inner
quality, yet it contains certain innovative features that foretell the creative
outburst of the Palaeologan age. Some of the painting in the narthex dates to
the 17th century, while the murals on the west front of the church were executed
in 1496.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
The church of the Taxiarchis (Archangel) of the Metropolis, a small
triple-aisled basilica with narthex, is of 10th century construction. Its considerable
interest lies equally in its antiquity and in its original wall-paintings.
While they have deteriorated through age, these paintings are of importance
to the study of art in the Middle Byzantine period. The old murals were painted
over in 1359/60, the more recent being the ones most visible today.
These later murals display their own characteristic techniques that
do not follow the rules governing painting as formulated at the time in the large
urban centres of Byzantium. From then on a local painting workshop existed in
Kastoria; it was inspired by locally conceived aesthetic canons and persisted
until the first years of the 16th century.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
Ayios Nikolaos Kasnitzis is a small single-aisled church with 12th
century wall-paintings. These paintings provide a perfect example of how a church
of this shape is to be decorated.
The upper register of the painted surface is covered with scenes from
the Gospels and the lower with a row of full-length figures of saints. In the
narthex there are scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas, whom the church honours,
and representations of the donors, Nikephoros Kasnitzis and his wife Anna.
As for the artistic intent, all the figures display a similarity of
style, being the work of a painter bent on portraying tall, supple bodies and
noble faces, and using subdued colours devoid of abrupt transitions of tone. The
prevalent harmony and the rejection of all inessentials create a sense of that
unique inner solemnity which reflects the religious ideals current in the Komnenian
age.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
The church of Ayioi Anargyroi (dedicated to Saints Kosmas and Damianos)
is a three-aisled basilica of the 11th century with marvellous tile decoration
and interesting proportions. It has two layers of wall-paintings that belong to
the 11th and 12th centuries respectively.
The earliest murals, which are clearly visible where the later ones
have crumbled away, are not particularly expressive, being of a very conservative
character.
The 12th century paintings, on the other hand, present a rich iconography
and display all the signs of conspicuous artistic merit consistent with the dynamism
of Komnenian art. Elongated figures of saints, their faces imbued with an intense
spirituality, their stance noble, almost theatrical, create scenes in harmonious
colours that comprise one of the most important works of Byzantine art.
One may marvel at the figures, among several others, of the donor
Theodoros Limniotis, his wife Anna, their son Ioannis, and of the monk Theophilos
Limniotis.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
The single-aisled church with narthex of the Panayia (Virgin) Mavriotissa,
the katholikon of the monastery bearing the same name, is probably an 11th century
building. A chapel dedicated to John the Theologian, with wall-paintings executed
in 1552 by the artist Eustathios Iakovou, was erected beside it in the 16th century.
The paintings that have survived in the katholikon are confined to
the sanctuary, the west wall of the main body of the church and the narthex. Their
particular style gives rise to pronounced reservations regarding their date, estimates
varying from the 11th to the early 13th centuries. Moreover their style lacks
features which would relate the paintings with local tradition.
The violence depicted in the wall-paintings and the distortions occurring
in the drawing reach the extremes of abstraction. Some of these old wall-paintings
were restored in the 13th century, while the exterior wall of the narthex was
decorated with new ones.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
20/7/2002
Furriers' Patron
1936
Painter, Photographer, Sculptor
1772 - 1847
1956
General Secretary for Hellenes Abroad
Leontios Hadjileontiadis was born in Kastoria,
Greece, in March 14, 1966. At the age of nine he began his studies of classical
guitar which, from 1983, he continued at the Macedonian Conservatory. He got the
Guitar Diploma with honours and the first prize of performance in 1993.
From 1984 to 1990 he attended the Class of Advanced Theory with D.
Athanasiadis, obtaining the Diplomas in Harmony, Instrumentation, Counterpoint,
Orchestration and Fugue with honours.
He attended guitar seminars presented by H. Kappel, R. Aussel, D.
Russel, C. Kotsiolis and T. Perring.
He also attended Composition Classes presented by Th. Antoniou, G.
Cramp, A. Baltas, D. Athanassiadis.
In June '98 he obtained the diploma of composition from the composition
class of Prof. Th. Antoniou, (Boston Univ., USA) with honours and the first prize
of distinguished work.
In January 1990, he received the Third Prize of Composition in the
Panhellenic Composition Competition, organised by the Ministry of Culture (Centre
of Art and Culture) for his composition for guitar solo "Tone Transmutations".
In May 1990, he recorded "Guitar Works".
In September 1991, he presented his original work for chamber music
in a concert organised by the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.
In May 1992, he received the First Prize of The Panhellenic Composition
Competition organised by "TECHNI" Cultural Society with his work "Mythology"
for 4 voices mixed choir (poetry by Zoe Karelli), presented in Athens and published
the same year.
In October 1992, The National Orchestra presented his work "Macedonian
Suite" for orchestra and piano, dedicated to the late Professor Manolis Andronikos
in the frame of the celebration of the 35 anniversary of the School of Technology,
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
In October 1992, he was invited to Goettingen, Germany, where the
string quartet "Rosenquartett" performed his work "Theme and Variations"
for string quartet.
In November 1993, he wrote a piece called "Fuzzification" for harp
and violin requested by Union des Compositeurs Helleniques, which is based on
Fuzzy Logic, and performed and broadcast by the National Greek Radio Station one
year later in Athens.
In May 1994, three works for piano ("Fillochoros", "Eikonoseira",
"Scherzo") were awarded in a National Composition Competition for educational
works of contemporary music in Thessaloniki.
In June 1994, he became a member of the Union of Greek Composers.
In September 1994, he wrote the original soundtrack for the film "God's
Garden" produced by the Centre of Hellenic Cinema. The film has been presented
at International Film Festival of Thessaloniki, where the music gained excellent
reviews.
From March 1995 till September 1996 he served his duty in the army
as a sergeant.
In November 1996, one work for violin "Shadows" and one for flute
"Elegia" were awarded in a National Composition Competition for educational works
of contemporary music in Athens and performed and broadcast from the 3rd program
of the National Greek Radio Station.
In May 1998, he was selected to participate, composing an original
work for chamber music ("Wavelets"), in a workshop dedicated to Greek
composers with George Cramp, as a special invited guest, from the organisation
of Athens MEGARON.
In November 1998, his string quartet No1 was included in a CD (ARKADIA)
with works of Greek composers, performed by the Greek Quartet, and it would soon
be available in the market.
In December 1998, the Symphonic Orchestra of Thessaloniki Municipality
will perform his latest work "Ihnomythia", for string quintet and string orchestra.
Since today he has written various compositions for orchestra, chamber
music, theatre music, solo music and electronic music. Some of his works combine
theories from mathematics ("Fazzification", "Wavelets"), transformed for music
assessment, while others are in the frame of ideas of ancient Greeks, e.g. Aristotelian
Theory ("Akinito Kinoun" for 2 flutes, clarinet, string quartet and piano, written
for the celebration of the beginning of the academic year in the School of Technology,
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) or under other metaphysical theories, resulting
in a rather narrative way of composing.
He is a student of the School of Arts, Faculty of Musicology and in
May 1997 he received his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical engineering, Electrical and
Computer Engineering, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece,
with honour. Since 1996, he has published over 20 papers in international journals
and currently he is a Research Assistant at the Unit of Biomedical Signal Analysis
of the Telecommunications Laboratory of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His scientific work was awarded three times
by sound international scientific organisations.
He is also the conductor of the Orchestra of the School of Technology
of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the conductor and founder of the
"Mandoulidis School Orchestra".
He is currently a professor of composition at Conservatory of THERMI
CULTURAL CENTER, Thessaloniki, and a professor of contemporary music at public
IEK of CULTURE, Thessaloniki.
Since March '97, he is the Director of the Cultural Centre of Municipality
of Thermi. Within that frame he participates in various cultural networks (EC-STRATCULT),
taking initiatives on establishing contemporary cultural institutions.
In April '99, he was unanimously elected as a Lecturer at the Dept.
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
Thessaloniki, Greece, Division of Telecommunications, Signal Processing Unit.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Friends of Music Society "Lilian Voudouri" URL below, which contains image.
Tel: +30 24670 22100, 83216
Fax: +30 24670 83614
Tel: +30 24670 83422, 83696
Tel: +3024673 50200-1
Fax: +3024670 22513
Tel: +3024673 51100-2
Fax: +3024670 22451
Tel: +30 24670 29453
Fax: +30 24670 29453
Tel: +30 24670 29921, 23077
Fax: +30 24670 24509
Tel: +30 24670 24670
Fax: +30 24670 27827
Tel: +30 24675 08888, 24670 22215
Fax: +30 24675 08888
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