Like a replica in miniature of the majestic form of Mt.
Taygetos, Mystras rises above the verdant valley of Eurotas. Historically, the site moves to the forefront after the Fourth Crusade, in 1204, when the crusaders establish the Latin empire (1204-1261) and other Latin states in the Byzantine lands they conquered. The region of Peloponnese was occupied by the Frankish knights and hence became the Principality of Achaea under the reigning family of the Villehardouins. William II of Villehardouin fortified Mystras and built the castle on the top of the hill in order to subdue the unruly mountain dwellers of Taygetos and to secure the defence of the fertile Lacedaemon. The castle had barely been completed when the Prince of Achaea, defeated by the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus at the battle of Pelagonia and made prisoner in 1259, was forced to cede as ransom to the Byzantines the three strongholds of Peloponnese, among them Mystras.
Mystras soon evolved into a major centre of the Byzantine empire, second only to the capital Constantinople. It was in Mystras, actually, that the Byzantine art and literature flourished for the last time before the spread of the Ottoman conquests in the mid-15th century. Mystras, the best preserved example of medieval walled town in the Greek region, fascinates the modern traveler with its castle, churches and the palatial complex of the ruling Byzantine dynasty, bearing witness to its bygone greatness. Private houses and mansions still standing today provide a rare source of information for the domestic architecture and urban planning of the late Medieval period.The 13th to early 15th centuries frescoes of Mystras' churches represent the peak that the Byzantine religious painting had reached: Some of the most important works of the 14th century will be found at Afendiko, Perivleptos includes a synthesis of rare aesthetic quality and deep theological significance, while at Pantanassa, the visitor is struck by the lengths to which the Byzantine painting has gone in respect of color range. This creative flourishing in arts coupled with the revival of the classical letters and especially philosophy was the cultural phenomenon that marked the late Byzantine empire, what has been called the "Palaeologan Renaissance".
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Like a replica in miniature of the majestic form of Mt. Taygetos, Mystras rises above the verdant valley of Eurotas. Historically, the medieval fortress town of Mystras moves to the forefront after the Fourth Crusade, in 1204, when the crusaders establish the Latin empire (1204-1261) and other states in the Byzantine lands they conquered. The region of the Peloponnese was occupied by the Frankish knights and hence became the Principality of Achaea under the reigning family of the Villehardouins. William II of Villehardouin fortified Mystras and built the castle on the top of the hill in order to subdue the unruly mountain dwellers of Taygetos and to secure the defence of the fertile Lacedaemon. The castle had barely been completed when the Prince of Achaea, defeated by the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus at the battle of Pelagonia and made prisoner in 1259, was forced to cede as ransom to the Byzantines the three strongholds of Peloponnese, among them Mystras.
Mystras soon evolved into a major centre of the Byzantine empire, second only to the capital Constantinople. It was in Mystras, actually, that the Byzantine art and literature flourished for the last time before the spread of the Ottoman conquests in the mid-15th century. As a cultural phenomenon, this creative flourishing in arts coupled with the revival of the classical letters and especially philosophy in Mystras was named by the scholars the Palaeologan Renaissance.
The first edifice to be raised at Mystra was the Villehardouin castle
on the summit of the cone-shaped hill. The outer wall begins to descend from the
north, follows the side of the hill until it reaches the foot, then turns right,
passing behind the Marmara restaurant, in the direction of the Peribleptos. At
frequent intervals the wall is fortified with high square towers.
The second line of defense, which begins at the Nauplia Gate, may
be discerned on the lofty ground where the Palace is situated. Following the contours
of the hill in an eastward direction, it then continues south as far as the Monastery
of the Pantanassa, after which it continues to descend as far as the level of
the Peribleptos. At this point, it turns west and, still following the contours
of the hill, climbs up to the level of the castle.
The hill on which Mystra is built was thus defended by two strongly
fortified walls, dominated by an impregnable castle. Within the lower and larger
enceinte, i.e. the lower city, dwelt the urban classes. Higher up, in the Upper
City, was situated the aristocratic quarter, with its palaces, mansions and government
offices.
Only two gateways led to the Upper City; the Monembassia Gate, with
towers, gun embrasures and an iron doorway; and the Nauplia Gate similarly fortified.
The whole fortification system is crowned by the Castle, which served
as an observation post in peace, as a last refuge in times of siege.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
Mystras today is a silent town that lifts its ruins in the west side
of Taygetus, just above the
valley and the city of Sparta.
The Mystras is built at the base of the Parorion
Gorge within a dazzlingly beautiful landscape. It was established in 1249 by the
Francs and is an excellent example of a Byzantine city dated between the 14th
and 15th century. Although it was founded by the Francs, it soon came under Byzantine
Rule and began to gradually develop resulting in its transformation into a prosperous
city occupied by 20.000 inhabitants. In the year 1348, it became the seat of the
Despotate of Moreas. It comprised one of the last significant spiritual institutions
of the Byzantine in light of the fact that it constituted a point of attraction
that enticed intellectuals and artists from Constantinople
and Europe. The Mystras' ruins are divided into three sections: 1) the Castle,
the primary fortification on the hill's peak, 2) the Upper City, which contains
homes and narrow roads surrounding the Bishop's Palace that was surrounded by
bastions and 3) the Lower City, which contains homes and monasteries safely protected
behind the third wall.
The most significant Mystras' architectural works in their entirety
include:
•The Cathedral, which also constitutes the oldest church of Mystras,
is dedicated in honor of St. Demetrios and is located at the gate near the Lower
City. The Cathedral's wall paintings belong to three different religious painting
schools and were discovered by G. Mille in 1896, since the subsequent people that
followed covered the wall with asbestos. There is also an engraved throne with
Baroque carvings that must have been constructed under Venetian Rule. The floor
of the middle aisle contains a sculpted slab that depicts a two-headed eagle.
It is said that in 1449, Constantinos Paleologos was crowned Emperor here.
•The Monastery of Vrontohiou was the spiritual center of the Mystras
Town. The philosopher George Gemistos or Plithon (1355 - 1452) taught at this
Monastery. The complex consists of the churches Panagias tis Hodegetreas, that
is, the Virgin Mary, Leader of the Way ("Proprietor") and the church of Saints
Theodore.
•The church of Our Lady Perivleptos is located on the southeastern
point of the exterior wall. It is two-columned, cruciform and maintains a small
dome that illustrates the Pantocrator including the Virgin Mary and prophets.
It is founded upon a cave-like cliff. There is also the reflection of an unknown,
noble couple that appears to have built the church in the early 14th century.
The small chapel of St. Ekaterini is found within the cave. It is said that it
comprised the Elefsinion cave that was commemorated by Pausanias. The wall paintings'
artwork is considered to be a forerunner in the "Cretan" technique and is a masterpiece,
particularly in the figures that are filled with life and the elegance in their
movements. There is even a peculiar sculpted slab in which Alexander the Great
is depicted ascending into the heavens, assisted by two greedy birds. Visitors
will even notice the strong tower with the bastions that bring to mind the Italian
architecture, as it rises above the table.
•The Monastery of Our Lady Pantanassa (the Queen of All) was built
in 1428 by Theodore Paleologos II master builder and is located at the mouth of
the cliff on the east side of the hill. It is the most well preserved monument
in Mystras. It comprises a luminous example of the architecture evident at the
time. The wall paintings are remarkable whilst the view of the Evrota
Valley from the Monastery is breathtaking. The visitors are ecstatic as they absorb
the landscape at their feet and rest from Mystras' uphill trail.
•The palaces of Mystras' bishops are massive structures that are shaped
in the form of the Greek letter "G", that is, Gamma. Each building maintains its
own use and they are each comprised of two aisles, which have been renovated recently.
Egemon's grand Throne Room is located here. The courtyard in front of the palaces
was used for public assemblies during the period of the Byzantine Empire whilst
it was used as an agora or market under the Turkish Empire. The illiterate wanderers
of the Turkish Empire describe these structures as the "Sanctuary of Menelaos"
and the common tradition refers to them as the "Princess' Palaces." The Throne
Room is worth visiting with the Gothic windows and skylight. There are also the
ruins from 2.000 noble homes as well as churches, towers and palaces, which exemplify
life in those days.
•The Castle was built in 1249 and still maintains its original scheme
even though it later undergoes many changes. It is located at the peak of the
Upper City and surrounded by sudden trenches on its west and east sides that served
to protect the structure. It may be accessed only from the path that leads from
the entrance located above the Church of St. Sophia. A secondary interior wall
surrounds the highest section of the Castle. The door opens under the protection
of a tall tower constructed, as was the Gate, by the Byzantines. The exterior
surrounding wall leads to a platform above a cistern and a circular bastion. A
tower extends above the shelter, a great majority of which has been demolished,
that the Francs built above a cistern.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs URL below.
The most important group of buildings associated with the city's defense
system are to be found within the Castle area. The wall with battlements and towers
was built in 1249 by the Franklin prince, William II de Villehardouin. Later,
it was repaired by Byzantines and Turks who also made additions to it. The main
entrance is protected by a large square tower.
Ruins of buildings erected during the Turkish occupation are scattered
about the entire declivity extending between the outer enceinte and the southern
section. A strong still fairly well preserved round tower rises on the north-east
side, near a large underground cistern which supplied the fortress with water
in times of siege. The tower formed part of the fortification system of the castle
and also served as a look-out post whence the movements of the population dwelling
on the slopes of Taygetos could be observed.
Both from this side of the hill and from the one overlooking Taygetos
the rocky eminence of Mystra rises sheer from the revine below and is thus rendered
impregnable at this point. Returning towards the tower, one encounters - just
before reaching the tower - the entrance which pierces the second line of defense,
and beyond which extends the highest and most inaccessible part of the castle.
The building with the underground cistern served ad the residence of successive
garrison commanders. A little higher up are the ruins of a twin chapel, one side
of which is embedded in the southern battlements of the fortification wall. This
little edifice, the oldest at Mystra, existed before the Frankish conquest and
the building of the castle. Still higher up, the west end of the ledge is crowned
by the ruins of another round tower with an observation post overlooking the opposite
slope of Taygetos, from which wild tribes of Melings, issuing out of their mountain
fastnesses, would make sudden hostile irruptions. The view from this part of the
castle is superbly impressive. In front extends the Lacedaemonian plain, across
which flows the Eurotas, with Sparta in the middle; to the west tower the savage
and grandiose contours of Taygetos; to the east the ruined city descends the hill,
dotted with the outlines of a variety of charming churches and the shells of ancient
mansions whose shattered masonry, pointing skywards, conjures up an image of human
hands raised in prayer.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
The still imposing bulk and monumental height of the buildings on
this high-lying terrace immediately indicate that these edifices were once palaces.
In spite of the ravages of time and the poor quality of the materials used, there
is an awesome air about the group of ruined buildings, which, for a span of nearly
three centuries, formed the seat of two Byzantine dynasties and of numerous foreign
and Greek princes.
The various buildings of the Palace comprise two wings, which almost
form a right angle whose apex is at the northern section of the level space, thus
shutting off any approach from the north and east sides. The level space thus
formed - unique on this conical hill - was the scene of numerous public assemblies.
Later, during the Turkish occupation, it served as a market place.
On public holidays the inhabitants assembled here to watch solemn
processions; on the Prince's name-day they came to wish him 'many years of life'.
Here strolled Plethon, the famous philosopher, surrounded by students who had
journeyed from the four corners of the Byzantine world to listen to his teachings.
The ruins which now occupy the two other sides of the terrace and confine the
open space considerably belong to the Turkish period. The only building of the
late Byzantine period is a fountain, commissioned by the Cantacuzenoi, the ruins
of which may be discerned at the north-west of the terrace.
The various apartments of the Palace were not all built at the same
time. The first apartment on the right of the level space has pointed Gothic windows
and a small balcony. It is the oldest section of the whole group of buildings
and betrays Western European architectural influences. Although named the palace
of Cantacuzenoi, it undoubtedly dates back to the short period of Frankish rule.
The next edifice - on the same side, and extending as far as the north-east
of the whole complex - is dated to the period of the Cantacuzenoi (1350-1400)
and includes the Despot's private apartments which consisted of spacious chambers
on each storey, a palace chapel on the top floor and, on the east side, overlooking
the alley of the Eurotas, an open colonnade supported by five pilasters and decorated
with a series of small arches similar to those on the mansions of the local aristocracy.
The north side of the Palace built during the period of the Palaeologoi
(1400-1460), is a single structural unit. The facade recalls the Palace of Constantine
Porphyrogenitus in Constantinople, as well as Early Italina Renaissance palaces.
Its present aspect is very unprepossessing; gone are the grace and beauty provided
by the two-storied colonnade of the facade, of which all that remains are the
bases of pilasters. On the level above the ground floor are eight vaulted chambers
which do not communicate with each other.
These probably served as the headquarters of various state services,
and must have been crowded with gorgeously robed signatories and courtiers. The
whole of the second story forms a single large hall. Between two large windows,
embellished with late Gothic arches, overlooking the level space, projects an
apse in which the throne was placed.Here were held the assemblies and solemn ceremonies;
here foregathered the foreign emissaries. A stone beach, on which visitors and
courtier sat, still surrounds the walls of the entire chamber.
A series of large rectangular windows runs along the length of the
facade surmounted by another row in the form roundels and squares. The hall was
consequently well lighted. Along the north wall eight fireplaces which, connected
with hearths in the vaulted apartments of the first storey, heated both the hall
and the entire building during the winter.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
The edifice constitutes a fine example of a Byzantine mansion, which
is traditionally believed to have been the property of the Lascaris, one of the
most distinguished families of Mystra.
Two-storied, it was built with considerable taste, if one is to judge
from the surviving series of small arches which supported the balcony. The small
floor with a vaulted roof was probably uses as a stables. Clumsy repairs of a
later period have spoilt the original aspect of the edifice. Ruins of Byzantine
houses, approximately contemporary to the main mansion, are scattered around it.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
The earliest and largest aristocratic mansion, which is in a relatively good state of preservation, rises immediately above the Church of St. Nicholas. The building consists of two sections belonging to different periods. The north section, including the tower, was built 1.300 a.c.; the south one was added later - some time during the 14th century. The exterior sides of the edifice are plain. Those of the tower, however, possess a lavish decoration superior to any encountered of the exterior walls of other mansions of Mystra. The tower was three storied; and foreign archeologists, impressed by the mansion's numerous arches, chambers, cellars and attics, christened it "Le Petit Palais" (Palataki).
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
Left of the path leading to a level spot shaded by a plane tree are
the remains of a Turkish fountain with a pointed arch and an ornamental marble
frieze. The paved path that starts near the fountain climbs the hill as far as
the Pantanassa.
In Byzantine times water for these fountains, which are encountered
up to the Palace level (higher up there are only cisterns for rain water), was
supplied from the wooded ravine on the opposite slope of Targets.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
This gate is the only entrance that pierces the city's second line
of defense and leads to the Upper City, the aristocratic quarter where the palaces
were situated. A solid square town with gun embrasures, still existent, protects
the gate which had a portcullis; this slid smoothly up and down the jambs of the
doorways, protecting the passage way in times of danger. Immediately above this
fortified gateway survives a rare type of three-storied Byzantine mansion with
numerous arched apertures. The paved path which begins here was called the "middle
road
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
The name derives from the fact that travelers bound for Nauplia and Continental Greece passed through this gate, whereas the Monembassia Gate was used by travelers on their way to Monembassia, the port of Mystra at the time. Apart from the portcullis, which slid up and down the jambs, the gateway possessed impressive fortifications consisting of a group of strong defense towers, both round and square, of very considerable height in relation to the gate itself. Two alternative theories have been advanced regarding the great strength of this fortification. According to one, it constituted a defense post for the nearby Palace; other conjecturers believe it served as the main entrance to the city.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below.
1404 - 1453
CONSTANTINE XI PALAEOLOGOS (1404-1453) , also called Dragases, last
Byzantine emperor, was born in 1404 in Mistra, the son of Emperor Manuel II. He
was trained as a soldier, and in 1441 conquered the peninsula of Morea in Greece,
which had been under the Frankish principality of Achaia, a state established
by the Crusaders.
Constantine later occupied Boeotia. In 1446, however, the Turkish
ruler Murad II reconquered these lands.
The Turks had begun their invasions of the Balkans nearly a century
before, and now began to close in on Constantinople.
Constantine was crowned emperor on Jan. 6, 1449, succeeding his brother,
John VIII. A little less than four years later, on Dec. 12, 1452, the union of
the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches was proclaimed in Constantinople
in the presence of the papal legate and the Patriarch Gregory.
Constantine had been a strong advocate of this union, but the people
generally opposed it, and riots ensued. The popular insistence on Byzantine religious
autonomy furthered the estrangement between eastern and western Roman Christendom
and weakened Byzantine resistance to the Turks. The Turkish sultan, Mehmed II,
advanced on Constantinople, sacked the country around it and, after a determined
siege, captured the city on May 29, 1453.
Constantine was killed in the final assault.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
Gemistus, Georgius, (Georgios ho Gemistos), or Georgius Pletho (ho Plethon). one
of the later and most celebrated Byzantine writers, lived in the latter part of
the fourteenth and in the beginning of the fifteenth century. He was probably
a native of Constantinople, but passed most of his life in the Peloponnesus. In
1426 he held a high office, under the emperor Manuel Palaeologus. He was called
Gemistos, or Plethon, on account of the extraordinary amount of knowledge which
he possessed in nearly all the branches of science; and the great number of writings
which he left prove that his surname was by no means mere flattery. Gemistus was
one of the deputies of the Greek church that were present at the council of Florence,
held in 1438, under pope Eugenius IV., for the purpose of effecting a union between
the Latin and Greek churches. Gemistus at first was rather opposed to that union,
since his opinion on the nature of the Holy Ghost differed greatly from the belief
of the Romish church, but he afterwards gave way, and, without changing his opinion
on that subject, was active in promoting the great object of the council. The
union, however, was not accomplished. Gemistus was still more renowned as a philosopher
than as a divine. In those times the philosophy of Aristotle was prevalent, but
it had degenerated into a mere science of words. Disgusted with scholastic philosophy,
Gemistus made Plato the subject of long and deep study, and the propagation of
the Platonic philosophy became henceforth his principal aim: the celebrated cardinal
Bessarion was one of his numerous disciples. During his stay at Florence he was
introduced to Cosmo de Medici; and having succeeded in persuading this distinguished
man of the superiority of the system of Plato over that of Aristotle, he became
the leader of a new school of philosophy in the West. Plato's philosophy became
fashionable at Florence, and had soon gained so much popularity in Italy as to
overshadow entirely the philosophy of Aristotle. But Gemistus and his disciples
went too far: it was even said that he had attempted to substitute Platonism for
Christianism; and before the end of the century Plato had ceased to be the model
of Italian philosophers. Gemistus is, nevertheless, justly considered as the restorer
of Platonic philosophy in Europe. He was, of course, involved in numberless controversies
with the Aristotelians, in the West as well as in the East, among whom Georgius,
of Trebizond, held a high rank, and much bitterness and violence were displayed
on each side. In 1441 Gemistus was again in the Peloponnesus as an officer of
the emperor: he was then advanced in years. He is said to have lived one hundred
years, but we do not know when he died.
Gemistus wrote a surprising number of scientific works, dissertations,
treatises, compilations, &c. concerning divinity, history, geography, philosophy,
and miscellaneous subjects. Several of them have been printed. The principal are:
1. Ek ton Diodorou kai Ploutarchou, peri ton meta ten en Mantineiai machen, en
kephalaiois dialepsis, being extracts of Diodorus Siculus and Plutarchus, which
are better known under their Latin title, De Gestis Graecorum post pugnam ad Mantineam
Duobus Libris Digesta. Editions: The Greek text, Venice, 1503; a Latin translation,
by Marcus Antonius Antimachus, Basel, 1540. the Greek text, together with Herodotus.
Basel, 1541; the Greek text, by Zacharias Orthus, professor at the university
of Greifswald, Rostock, 1575; the same by professor Reichard, under the title
Georgiou Gemistou tou kai Plethonos Hellenikon Biblia B, Leipzig, 1770. There
are French, Italian, and Spanish translations of this book.
2.Peri Heimarmenes, De Fato. Edition: With a Latin translation, and Bessarion's
epistle on the same subject, by H. S. Reimarus, Leiden, 1722.
3. Peri Areton, De Virtutibus. Editions: The text, together with some of the minor
works of the author, Antwerp, 1552; with a Latin translation, by Adolphus Orcanus,
Basel, 1552; by H. Wolphius, Jena, 1590.
4. Orationes duae de Rebus Peloponnesiacis constituendis, one addressed to the
emperor Manuel Palaeologus, and the other to the despot Theodorus. Ed. with a
Latin translation, together with the Editio Princeps of the Eclogae of Stobaeus,
by G. Canterns, Antwerp, 1575.
5. Peri hon Aristoteles pros Platona diapheretai, De Platonicae atque Aristotelicae
Philosophiae Diferentia. Ed.: The Greek text, with a Latin paraphrase, by Bernardinus
Donatus,Venice, 1532; the same, with a dissertation of Donatus on the same subject,
ib. 1540; the same, with the same dissertation, Paris, 1541; a Latin translation,
by G. Chariandrus, Basel, 1574. This is one of his most remarkable works.
5. Magika logia ton apo Zoroastrou exegethenta. The Greek title differs in the
MSS.: the work is best known under its Latin title, Oracula Magica Zoroastris,
and is an essay on the religion of the ancient Persians. Ed.:--The text, with
a Latin translation, by T. Opsopoeus, Paris, 1599; by Thryllitsch, Leipzig, 1719.
Besides these works, Gemistus made extracts of Appian's Syriaca, his object being
to elucidate the history of the Macedonian kings of Syria: of Theophrastus (History
of Plants); Aristotle (History of Animals, &c.); Diodorus Siculus (with regard
to the kingdoms of Assyria and Media); Xenophon, Dionysius Halicarnasseus, and
several other writers, whose works are either partly or entirely lost. He further
wrote Prolegomena Artis Rhetoricae, Funeral Orations (G. Gemistii sive Plethonis
et Michaelis Apostolii Orationes Funebres Duae, in quibus de Immortalitate Animae
exponitur, nunc primum ex MSS. editae, by Professor Fulleborn, Leipzig, 1793);
Essays on Music, Letters to Cardinal Bessarion, and other celebrated contemporaries,
&c. &c., which are extant in MS. in different libraries of Europe. His
geographical labours deserve particular notice. The Royal Library at Munich has
a MS. of Gemistus, entitled Diagraphe hapases Peloponnesou paraliou kai mesogeiou,
being a description of the Peloponnesus, in which he fixes the positions according
to the system of Ptolemy, with the writer's own corrections and additions. Gemistus
wrote also a Topography of Thessaly, and two small treatises, the one on the form
and size of the globe, and the other on some geographical errors of Strabo, which
are contained in the Anecdota of Siebenkees. Laporte Dutheil, the translator of
Strabo, derived considerable advantage from extracts of Gemistus, from the 7th,
8th, and 1 th book of Strabo; and the celebrated Latin edition of Ptolemy, published
in 1478, and dedicated to pope Sixtus IV., by Calderino, was revised after an
ancient Greek MS. of Ptolemy, in which Gemistus had written his corrections. A
publication of all the different inedited MSS. of Gemistus extant in various libraries
in Europe would be most desirable: the classical no less than the Oriental scholar
would derive equal advantage from such an undertaking.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Georgius Gemistus Plethon. Born in Constantinople about 1355, died in the Peloponnesus, 1450. Out of veneration for Plato he changed his name from Gemistos to Plethon. Although he wrote commentaries on Aristotle's logical treatises and on Porphyry's "Isagoge", he was a professed Platonist in philosophy. Owing, most probably, to the influence of Mohammedan teachers, he combined with Platonism, or rather with Neo-Platonism, the most extraordinary kind of Oriental mysticism and magic which he designated as Zoroastrianism. It was due, no doubt, to these tendencies of thought that he openly abandoned Christianity and sought to substitute paganism for it as a standard of life. When he was about fifteen years old he visited Western Europe in the train of the Emperor John Palaeologus. After his return to Greece, he settled at Misithra in the Peloponnesus, the site of ancient Sparta, and there he spent the greater part of his life. In 1438, although he was then in his eighty-third year, he again accompanied the Emperor to Italy, where he was designated as one of the six champions of the Orthodox Church in the Council of Florence. His interest in ecclesiastical matters was, however, very slight. Instead of attending the Council, he spent his time discoursing on Platonism and Zoroastrianism to the Florentines. It was his enthusiasm for Platonism that influenced Cosimo de Medici to found a Platonic Academy at Florence. In 1441 Plethon had returned to the Peloponnesus, and there he died and was buried at Misithra in 1450. In 1465 his remains were carried to Rimini and placed in the church of St. Francis, where an inscription, curiously enough, styles him "Themistius Byzantinus". Among his disciples was the learned Cardinal Bessarion. Plethon's most important works are the "Laws" written in imitation of Plato's "Laws", which was condemned by Gennadios, Patriarch of Constantinople, and "On the Differences between Plato and Aristotle", in which he attacks the Aristotelian philosophy and asserts the superiority of Platonism. He also composed a work in defence of the Greek doctrine of the Procession of the Holy Ghost. In his philosophical system he borrows largely from the Neo-Platonist, Proclus, and mingles with the traditional Neo-Platonic mysticism many popular Oriental superstitions. His influence was chiefly negative. His attack on Aristotelianism was to some extent effective, although opposed to him were men of equal ability and power, such as Gennadios, Patriarch of Constantinople. He was honoured by the Italian Platonists as the restorer of the Academy, and as a martyr for the cause of Platonism.
William Turner, ed.
Transcribed by: Douglas J. Potter
This text is cited Dec 2005 from The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent online edition URL below.
As the visitor approaches he sees the east side of the church, built
according to the enclosed brick system, characteristic of ecclesiastical architecture
of the middle-Byzantine period.
The three-storeyed bell-tower on the left - a heavy edifice like a
Franklish tower - was built much later, during the 14th century, on top of a pre-existing
side chapel, erected shortly after the church and incorporated within it. The
original height of its roof may still be discerned from the two horizontal courses
of porous stones.
Proceeding a short distance one sees on the the right a stone with
dark stains that suggest drops blood is protected by a grille on the exterior
wall of the courtyard. This is traditionally believed to be the spot where Ananias
Lambardis, Metropolitan bishop of Lacedaemonia, was executed my the Turks, because
he was one of the instigators of the insurrection which ended, three years later,
in the uprising of Orloff.
Beyond it is another of the fountains commonly encountered at Mystra,
followed by a gate which leads to the Metropolis. To the right, and at the end
of the first paved court with the monumental stairway beyond the fountain a little
vaulted stairway leads to the women's gallery from the exterior south side of
the church. On the left wall of the landing, formed after the seventh step, the
founder's inscription may be read. From it we learn that the church was founded
by the Metropolitan Bishop Nicephorus in 1291-92. It reads as follows: "The
humble Nicephorus, prelate of Crete, who has as collaborator his brother Aaron,
erected this holy house of worship At the time of Andronicus Palaelogus, Who held
the sceptre over the Romans, and of his son, Michael, May those who pass here
beseech that they be forgiven their sins And found beside the flock on the right
had of Christ When He appears at the Last Judgement".
The original architectural plan of the Metropolis was that of a three-naved
basilica. Later, probably in the 15th century, another storey, consisting of a
women's gallery and a cruciform roof with five cupolas, was added above the interior
frieze of the first storey. The church thus evolved into an architectural form
which was to be repeated at the Aphentiko and the Pantanassa; a form which consists
of a combination of the three-naved basilica on the ground floor and a cruciform
church with five domes and a women's gallery on the upper storey. According to
an inscription in relief on the level of the women's gallery, this transformation
was the work of Mathew, Metropolitan Bishop of Lacedaemonia.
The manner whereby the transformation of the shape of the roof was
effected - and the reason for which is unknown - resulted the complete destruction
of a series of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Christ on the north
side and in lopping off the upper part of others in the central nave. From top
(women's gallery) to bottom the church retains its earliest iconography which,
since the last cleaning in 1968, has recovered the brilliance of its colors and
revealed fresh details now unconverted by the removal of murky deposits and some
later frescoes.
The apse of the sanctuary is dominated by the upright figure of the
"Virgin Vrephocratousa". Eleven scenes from the martyrdom of St. Demetrios
are depicted in the middle section (towards the sanctuary) of the vault of the
north nave.
The Miracles of Christ are represented on the rest of the vault. Three
zones of paintings cover the entire wall space of this nave in the following order
(top to bottom): saints within medallions; pairs of martyrs; full length military
saints.
On the opposite nave, in the vaulted section within the sanctuary
which contains the Diaconicon, there is a grandiose composition depicting angels
preparing the throne of Christ of the "Second Coming". In the remaining
section of the nave scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin extend as far
as the bishop's wooden throne. Between this point and the narthex the vault is
covered with a composition depicting the miracles of Christ which, in accordance
with Byzantine tradition, follow one another chronologically, although represented
in a single composition, as though depicting events that were occurring simultaneously
and not successively.
Between the sanctuary and narthex full-length figures, probably representing
the Apostles: are reanged at a much lower level along the wall of the same nave.
The walls the narthex are decorated with a depiction of the "Second Coming".
Here all the walls and vaults are covered with representations related to this
grandiose composition, at the center of which is the Preparation of the Throne
which extends across half the vault, above the wooden entrance door.
Angels with red wings stand around the throne; below them, on the
arches which frame the opening of the door, two angels awaiting the arrival of
Christ hold open Books of Judgement.
The iconographic decoration of the Metropolis - the earliest monument
in Mystra and especially rich in inscriptions - must have been executed between
1270 and 1285 and possesses little homogeneity of style. The variety furnished
by different schools of painting nevertheless gives this church a special place
in the history of Byzantine art, the painted decoration providing a kind of synopsis
of earlier styles which foreshadow some of the best work of the Palaeologus renaissance.
The decoration of the church is completed by the sculptures on the
columns and "iconostatis" which consist of reused materials removed
from elsewhere and consequently do not present any uniformity of style or epoch.
The Double-Headed Eagle, the heraldic device of the Paleologus dynasty, is depicted
in relief on a plaque on the pavement in center of the church. Polychrome marble
fragments of the early pavement survive here and there. The subject-matter of
the incised inscriptions on the columns consists of an inventory of the church's
various buildings and dependencies.
Fragmentary frescoes of prelates are visible on the exterior walls of the
colonnaded court which recalls the architecture of the Renaissance. The Marmara
sarcophagus is placed on the south side of the court. Immediately opposite is
the Museum, the ground floor of which possesses a large collection of inscriptions,
bas-reliefs, columnettes and capitals removed from various churches and mansions.
Fragments of frescoes from ruined chapels, portative icons, jewelry,
coins and a piece of Byzantine cloth found in the course of excavation are displayed
in the second hall. The court, including its colonnades and the group of outhouses
which now form the Museum, were built by the Metropolitan Bishop Ananias, who
was executed outside the buildings by the Turks. The relevant inscription embedded
in the wall of the second storey balcony of the Museum runs as follows: "The
chambers and gates here are not ancient But built by Bishop Ananias Who has renewed
them from their Bases, at a cost Paid from Dimitsana 1754".
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
The church was built in the 14th century by Manuel Cantacuzenus, first
Despot of Mystra. In a probable attempt to revive memories of the Constantinopoitan
way of life, he have this official palace chapel a name, hallowed by tradition,
that would recall the "Great Church" of the capital.
Here, it is said, were laid the bones of Theodora Tocco, first wife
of Constantine Palaelogus; here too, it is believed, was buried Cleopa Malatesta,
wife of Theodore Palaelogos.
The architectural style of St. Sophia - distyle cruciform crowned
by a dome - is similar to that of the Evanghelistria.
The narthex, crowned by a large dome, is unusually large in relation
to the main naos. On the north side, from which the visitor now enters the church,
there is a portico, and chapels have been built in the four angles of the church.
The elegant silhouette of the belfry rises at the west end of the portico. During
the Turkish occupation, when St. Sophia converted into a mosque, the belfry served
as a minaret.
Only a few of the original frescoes are preserved in the church. The
fact that one of these representing Christ, spreads across the sanctuary apse
may have given rise to the theory that the church was dedicated to Christ, the
Life-Giver, and not, as traditionally believed, to the Holy Wisdom. On a higher
level are four angels holding a circular Glory which formed part of a large composition
of the Ascension covering the entire surface of the vault in the sanctuary.
More frescoes are preserved in the two east chapels, one of which
is entered from the church, the other from outside. On the walls of the first
chapel are depicted Christ, the Nativity of the Virgin above the entrance, and
the Divine Liturgy. Nearly all the frescoes in the second chapel are well preserved:
the "Virgin Platytera", the Dormition of the Virgin, the Crucifixion,
the Descent into the Hell, the Pantocrator and the Heavenly Powers.
Fragments of sculptural decoration, including the Monorgan of Manuel
Cantacuzenus, the founder, and the Double-Headed Eagle of the Paleologoi are preserved
on the capital of a column. The words Despotis and Cantacouzinos, are inscribed
in abbreviated form on the capitals of two marble pilasters near the narthex.
Outside, a few meters beyond the present entrance to the church, two round holes
in the ground indicate the position of a large underground cistern in which water
was preserved for the needs of the Monastery, Running water, flowing in pipes
from the opposite side of the Mountain, which is very fertile, only reached the
level of the Palace. Higher up, in the direction of the Castle, there are neither
remains nor traces of a single fountain, other than cisterns for preserving rain
water.
The elegant oblong building with numerous apertures and apses near
the north-west of the belfry was the refectory of the Monastery. Full length figures
of saints which decorated all the apses and apertures of the edifice can still
be distinguished.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
Few facts regarding the history of the church, which must have been
built in the 14th or 15th century, have come down to us.
The proportions are pleasing, and there are some beautiful brick revetments,
especially on the exterior wall of the sanctuary. Architecturally, the Evanghelistria
is distyly cruciform, like the Peribleptos and St. Sophia. Judging form fragments
of frescoes, on must conclude that the church was decorated in the 15th century,
with the exception of the "iconostassis" which is adorned with inferior
paintings of the late 19th. On the other hand, the sculptural decoration is not
without interest, its unity of style indicating that all the sculptures were carved
for this church itself, instead of what we see in the other churches of Mystra.
The capitals, the door-surround of the "Beautiful Gate" and the inner
entrance to the church are characteristic specimens of this form of sculpture.
Behind the church other buildings have been added to the main edifice.
The stairway leading to the women's balcony, the roof of which no longer survives
was here.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
Build in the 15th century (1428), by John Phrangopoulos, the Pantanassa
was the last edifice to be raised during the Despotate, and it provides an example
of a harmonious conflation of the various styles of church architecture fashionable
at Mystra into a single unity.
Architecturally, the Pantanassa resembles the Aphendiko and the Metropolis:
basilica type below, cruciform with domes on the upper storey.
Two porticoes, one (preserved intact) overlooking the valley of the
Eurotas, another outside the narthex, and of which only traces of the base of
the wall survive, provided a felicitous harmony to the church's numerous architectural
volumes. These porticoes, a popular feature of ecclesiastical architecture at
Mystra, although of Constantipolitan origin, were adapted with such a sound sense
of both calculation and fantasy to the difficulties inherent in the configuration
of the ground that they succeeded, in conformity with the space available, in
achieving a most original and aesthetically satisfying equipoise to the various
architectural volumes. In the north-west corner a superb four-storied belfry with
foundations in the court, and whose lowest storey contains a chapel .surmounts
the whole complex of buildings. The two upper stories of the belfry have large
pointed arches of Gothic influence with "tympana" decorated with threefold
apertures on all four sides. Unmistakable indicators of Western artistic influences
are apparent in whole construction; the melon shaped cupola the turrets on the
summit, the small windows with a cupola trefoil design above the colonnade.
Different artistic styles are also evident in the expert and lavish
exterior decoration of the sanctuary, which is divided into three zones. The upper
zone, embellished with brickwork decoration,is indeed completely Byzantine. if
not Constantinopolitan, in style; The middle one, late Gothic in style, is decorated
with small pointed arches and stone-wrought garlands adorned with blooms; the
lower one is plain and unadorned.
The church which, apart from the dome, has remained intact, unharmed
by the ravages of time, possesses frescoes in a relatively good state of preservation.
From the women's gallery upwards, the paintings are of the Byzantine
period, contemporary with the actual foundation of the church. The most characteristic
works are the "Virgin Platytera" in the sanctuary and, on a higher level
the Ascension which spreads across the entire vault of the sanctuary. In the curved
expanse of the east arm of the cross which circumscribes the base of the dome
are depicted the Entry to Jerusalem and the Descent into Hell, which is in a women's
gallery are representations of the Annunciation on the left, the Nativity on the
right.
The Presentation in the Temple and a somewhat damaged Baptism spread
across the west vault near the narthex. In the north vault are depictions of the
Transfiguration and the Raising of Lazarus. The little domes and walls of the
women's gallery are decorated with fairly well preserved figures of prophets.
The frescoes on the upper register are the last representative works
of Byzantine art, which, although "now approaching its twilight", still
possessed sufficiently dynamic potentialities to "create new styles"
and raise "pretty little Churches". These frescoes are distinguished
by a wide range of lavish colour - combinations unique in Byzantine art, by the
number of figures depicted in the compositions, by the crowded architectural detail
with numerous edifices filling in the background of the various scenes, and, above
by a tendency to reproduce a human form which corresponded physically to the setting
in which it was placed.
On the south side of the narthex is the tomb of Manuel Hadzikis, a
Byzantine notable of Mystra, who is depicted on the wall in an attitude of prayer.
Tradition has it that the bones of Theodora Tocco, first wife of Constantine
Palaelogous, were lain in the Pantanassa. On the other hand, the historian Phratzis
records that her mortal remains were buried in 1429 in the Monastery of the Life-Giver,
that is to say, St. Sophia.
The hospitable nuns of the Pantanassa, who charm the visitors with
their civility and kindness, are the last remaining inhabitants of the ruined
city, destined to play the dual role of survivors and guardians of the Byzantine
tradition.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
A bas-relief with a design of two upright heraldic lions on either
side of the monogram of the Peribleptos surmounts the arched entrance of the peribolus
of the Monastery. Little is known of either the history of the church or of its
founder. There are only two indications: one of a representation of a man and
woman, doubtless the founders, offering a model of the church to the Virgin, on
the tympanum of the blind arch of the drum on the west wall of the lower storey,
below the depiction of the Descent into Hell: the other consists of the name of
Byzantine notable, Leon Mavropappas, inscribed above the outer entrance of the
adjacent narthex which is of a later date.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
Two buildings of the original monastery survive: the church with its
chapels, and the refectory, a tower-like edifice with distinct Frankish features,
situated on the north side of the peribolous. Architecturally the Peribleptos
belongs to the type of distyle cruciform
The Peribleptos possesses the most lavish and best preserved painted
decoration at Mystra. The frescoes, cleaned in 1962, are dated to the mid 14th
century. The walls of the Prothesis immediately left of entrance, are decorated
with a magnificent Divine Liturgy, one of the finest frescoes in the whole of
Mystra. A meticulous attention to rhythm, which seems to create the effect of
a serene other-worldliness, emphasizes the whole composition, which is rendered
particularly striking by the uniform angularities of the movements of the figures
in the divine procession. The Virgin Platytera is depicted in the ape of the sanctuary.
Higher up, the entire vault is covered with a representation of the Ascension,
with four superb angels surrounding Christ.
On the two walls below are depicted scenes from the Holy Communion.
On the upper part of the apse of the Diaconicon there is a marvelously
preserved Sleeping Christ, in the left vault the Denial of Peter and the Road
to Calvary and the Crucifixion. In the vaults surrounding the dome unfold scenes
from the Dodekaorton
In the east vault are representations of the Transfiguration and the
Raising of Lazarus, and right of the Last Supper and the Entry into Jerusalem;
in the north vault Pentecost and the Incredulity of Thomas.
Alone among the churches of Mystra the Peribleptos preserves frescoes
in the dome; a grandiose pantocrator which occupies a small sector in the center.
while the remaining surface each containing a Cherubim at the top and a pair of
Prophets below, the Virgin flanked by two Angels and directly opposite, the Preparation
of the Throne
Scenes of the Passion cover the walls of the church. Among the most
beautiful are the Descent from the Cross on the south wall and the Descent into
Hell on the west wall above the fresco of the founders.
The life of the Virgin is lavishly illustrated in a band which girdles
almost the entire church. The finest of these scenes is the grandiose Dormition
on the north wall, immediately above the entrance. On a lower level full-length
life-size figures of military saints, angels, prophets and bishops are depicted
on pilasters, arches and the remaining expanses of wall-space. The border tendencies
which distinguished the painted decoration of the Aphendiko are less evident here.
The conservative spirit which prevailed in mid-14th century Byzantium under the
Cantacuzenus dynasty seems to have influenced the creative are of the period.
The world-famous frescoes of the Peribleptos, while bearing a remarkable resemblance
to the detailed work characteristic of portative icons, also foreshadowed the
so-called Cretan School which was to dominate the post-Byzantine period.
The church was restored in 1954. Judging from the few surviving frescoes - figures of Apostles on the central arch of the south wall, St. Christopher (of which only the head survives) on a lower above the doorway, and a bishop enthroned on the following tympanum - the church can be dated to the late 14th century. These small chapels, mostly sepulchres, scattered all over the hill of Mystra, served as private churches of distinguished families.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
Restored in 1953, this is one of the most characteristic of Mystra's chapels. The south roof, with its attractive brickwork decoration, is particularly interesting. Like other chapels at Mystra, St. George served as a private church, the property of some aristocratic family whose members were buried here.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
The exterior brickwork decoration of the sanctuary is particularly
lavish; moreover the cloissonne walling and glazed plaques create a decorative
ensemble that harmonizes most felicitously with the architectural disposition
of the church. Build in 1295 and restored by Professor Orlandos in 1932, the church
belongs to the type of "cruciform octagonal naos ". The dome is thus
supported at eight points which form an octagon distinguishable in the ground
plan. The church is, in fact, the last extant example of an architectural edifice
of this kind - a type fashionable between the 11th and 13th centuries - later
in date to the Monastery of Hosios Loukas, Daphi (11th century) and St. Sophia
at Monembassia (end 12th century).
The main feature of this type of church is the large dome crowing
a high drum which dominates the whole of the central area of the ground floor
and, by reason of its height, compels the worshipper to turn his gaze unwittingly
to the point where the Pantocrator reigns glory.
Of the church's painted decoration there survive some full-length
figures of "military saints" which are distinguished by the live-liness
and freedom ofmovement of their somewhat realistic attitudes. The style recalls
paintings of the Macedonia School.
Both within and outside the church there are many tombs. The two chapels,
added to the western side of the church and entered from the now blocked-in narthex,
also served as sepulchres, as well as the Prothesis within the sanctuary where
there is the tomb of a certain Manuel Paleologos, according to an inscription
accompanying the relevant representation on the wall. On the interior wall above
the entrance to the Diaconicon extends the Domition of the Virgin in a relatively
good state of preservation, though covered with crystalline deposits.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains images.
A large group of buildings comprising two imposing churches, ruined
edifices and remains of an outer wall which surrounded the whole complex, once
constituted the wealthiest monastery at Mystra: the Vrontochion, as it was called
at the peak of its prosperity.
The founder was Pachomius, the Great Protocyncellus of the Peloponnese.
By means of his services to the Emperor in the management of the political affairs
of the Despotate, this energetic cleric succeeded in gaining so many privileges
and receiving so many donations from the imperial bounry that in the course of
twenty years he founded two churches (The Holy Theodoroi and the Panagia Hodeghetria
or Aphentiko), complete with cells, towers and refectories unsurpassed in lavishness.
He also finally succeeded in obtaining the privilege, granted by the Emperor,
of declaring the Monastery independent of the local ecclesiastical authorities
and establishing its dependence on the Patriarch.
The monastery's privileged position during the period of the Despotate
probably accounted for its appellation of Aphendiko; a name derived from the official
personages who were members of its community and from the enormous wealth which
came under its administration, thus likening it to the most powerful "Aphendi"
of the locality.
This text is cited Apr 2003 from the Laconian Professionals URL below, which contains image.
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