Kaisariani Monastery
Encyclopedia
The Kaisariani Monastery or, more formally, the Holy Monastery of Kaisariani is an Eastern Orthodox monastery
built on the north side of Mount Hymettus, in East Central Greece
. (In Greek, the name is rendered Καισαριανή.)
flourished in the arts thanks to the accession to power of an extremely enlightened dynasty, that of the Macedonians
(867-1080). As the result of consecutive successful campaigns against various invaders, such as the Russia
ns, the Bulgaria
ns and the Arab
s, the Macedonian Emperors managed to restore peace throughout most of the lands governed by Byzantium.
With peace thus insured, along with other art forms, architecture experienced a remarkable apogee. During this very period, a series of monasteries were built on the slopes of Mount Hymettus. Among them was Asterion Monastery, an exceptionally beautiful building, overlooking Attica
from an altitude of 545 meters (1,770 feet) from a cavity on one of the slopes.
Then, in the 10th century, "St. John of the Hunters", also called the "Philosopher`s Monastery", was built on the north side of the mountain. The Monastery of St. John the Theologian, at the foot of Hymettus on the outskirts of Papagou
and the Karea Monastery, above Messogia, were also constructed at approximately the same time.
However, the Kaisariani Monastery was the most renowned and the richest of all. There are no written testimonies about it before the Frankish
occupation. Its apogee seems to have been between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th . In 1204, Pope Innocent III
submitted Kaisariani Monastery to the jurisdiction of the Latin Archbishop of Athens. When, in 1458, the Turks
occupied Attica, Sultan Mehmed II
went to the monastery and, according to Jacob Spon (1675), a French doctor from Lyon
, that is where he was given the key to the city.
In 1678, Patriarch Dionysus IV defined the monastery as being Stavropigiki, that is to say, free and independent of the metropolitan bishop
: its only obligation was to perform funeral rites. Later on, in 1792, Patriarch Neophytos VII retracted the monastery's freedom with a Bull
; it was, once again under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Athens. From 1824 onwards, the monastery was "submitted to abject treatment. What had previously been instrumental in enlightening mankind and saving souls, was now being used as a palace for cows, fowl and horses".
During its apogee, it had hosted many significant spiritual figures of the time, such as Theophanis in 1566 and Ioannis Doriano in 1675, the Abbot Izekel Stephanaki, who was knowledgeable in Greek literature and history, and more particularly, Platonic philosophy. From 1722 until 1728, Theophanis Kavallaris taught courses in grammar and sciences there.
Kaisariani Monastery's library was renowned and most probably owned documents from antiquity's libraries. According to the demogerontes (the council of elders) of the time, "the manuscripts were sold to the English as membranes whereas the rest of the documents were used in the metropolis` kitchens." During the Turkish siege of Athens, the manuscripts were transported to the Acropolis
and were used to ignite fuses.
The fertile surrounding lands belonged to the monastery, as did various other holdings, such as St. John the Baptist, next to the Kaisariani road or those in Anavyssos.
The monks' income was substantiated by the produce from their olive groves, grape vines and beehives. In a letter, dated 1209, Michael Hionati reports that "the produce from the beehives was given to the Hegumen of Kaisariani Monastery. However, four years later, he complains about not having received any income from the monastery: the Abbot gave, as an excuse that the beehives had been destroyed. The monks were also renowned for concocting medicine from various herbs.
(main church), the refectory
, the bathhouse and the cells, so that, even today, they seem quite well protected. In its original design, there were two entrances, the main entrance on the eastern side and a larger one on the other side.
The monastery was built on the ruins of a lay building. The drawing of Kaisariani Monastery, done in 1745 by a Russian pilgrim
named Barski, depicts the following buildings: the catholicon on the eastern side of the wall around the abbey, the bathhouse on the south side and, bordering it, the monks' cells with the Benizelou tower and the refectory in the western wing. Beside the vegetable garden on the southwestern side of the monastery, you can see the monks' cemetery and a newer church.
The catholicon and the bathhouse are the original 11th century buildings whereas the narthex
and the bell tower
as well as St. Anthony
's chapel are additions dated after the Turkish occupation. The buildings are all disposed around a courtyard. The catholicon was on the eastern side, the refectory and the kitchen, on the western side and the bathhouse, which was transformed into the monastery's olive oil extractor during the Turkish rule, and, finally, the monks' cells in front of which there was an open arcade.
The catholicon is dedicated to the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple and had the basic cross shape, faithful to Greek tradition, according to M. Sotiriou, or the semicircular quadripartite according to Anastassios Orlandos.
The entrance of the temple was located on its western side without being separated by a narthex. There was another entrance on the northern side: with a marble doorstep and a Roman architrave. The narthex, which was surely built before 1602, is a vaulted ceiling with a cupola
and lunette
in the middle.
is located on the external southern wall of the catholicon that now includes St. Anthony's chapel. It is of the Theotokos
, turned to the left in prayer. Its sweeping brushstrokes suggest a 14th century rural technique.
The church and its narthex
are decorated with frescoes, dating from the Turkish Occupation. The wealthy Benizelos family subsidized the frescoes, painted in 1682 by Ioannis Ypatos, from the Peloponnese
, according to the inscription on the western wall. The cupola represents Christ Pantokrator. On the bi-partite rosette, are depicted; the Preparation of the Throne
, the Virgin, John the Forerunner, the angel
s and a composite fresco of the Four Evangelists
are represented. On the chapel's lunette, the Virgin Platytera enthroned, with angels seated on either side.
Although the frescoes do not distinguish themselves with any innovations in fresco technique, they nonetheless remain prototypes of the 16th century frescoes found in the Mount Athos
. During the 17th century, frescoes became more and more popular in style and technique. This tendency is clearly illustrated in the narthex's frescoes. The painter's will to distance himself from the Cretan school
is obvious.
, along with those that have been salvaged in Daphni and Dervenossalessi of Kithairon
, are examples of 11th century architecture which confirm the belief that monks often used bath houses. Warm water was used for heating the cells, the refectory, etc.
The buildings located on the left of the eastern entrance, across from the south side of the catholicon encircle a natural source. It is covered by a semi-spherical unvaulted cupola, which is supported by four pendentives. These small pendentives, which support the protective roof, have been destroyed because, as we have previously mentioned, it was transformed into an olive press. The jars, which have been preserved, testify to this transformation.
The great earthquake of 1981 caused serious damage to parts of the monastery complex, particularly to the bath house and refectory. Eleven years later, the Minister of Cultural Affairs
appointed the Philodassiki Enossi Athinon, a Greek NGO, to administer the restoration of the bath house under the supervision of the First Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Archeological Service. Before the restoration could be completed, the 1999 earthquake once again interrupted the works, this time for many years.
A later Minister of Cultural Affairs assigned the implementation of a new study, drafted by the Directory of Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Monuments of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the Philodassiki inasmuch as they would also assume complete financial responsibility for the works. The works were nonetheless resumed, to be again interrupted, indefinitely this time, for technical reasons that had nothing to do with the Philodassiki itself.
and the kitchen are located in an independent building on the western side of the wall, across from the catholicon. The refectory is a long rectangular shaped vaulted room, which is subdivided into two spaces. The kitchen on the south side of the refectory is square shaped with a vaulted roof in which there is a chimney. The hearth is in the middle of the room, surrounded by a step, built at the foot of its four walls. The building probably dates from the 16th or 17th century.
The monks' cells, along with Benizelou's tower, occupy nearly the whole southern length of the garden.
In cooperation with the Archeological Service, Philodassiki restored the complex of the Holy Monastery of Kaisariani between 1952-1955; the association supervised and funded all of the works. Tassos Margaritof restored the Meta-Byzantine icon
s it contained.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
built on the north side of Mount Hymettus, in East Central Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. (In Greek, the name is rendered Καισαριανή.)
History
During the 11th century, ByzantiumByzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
flourished in the arts thanks to the accession to power of an extremely enlightened dynasty, that of the Macedonians
Macedonian dynasty
The Macedonian dynasty ruled the Byzantine Empire from 867 to 1056, following the Amorian dynasty. During this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest expanse since the Muslim conquests, and the Macedonian Renaissance in letters and arts began. The dynasty was named after its founder,...
(867-1080). As the result of consecutive successful campaigns against various invaders, such as the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns, the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
ns and the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s, the Macedonian Emperors managed to restore peace throughout most of the lands governed by Byzantium.
With peace thus insured, along with other art forms, architecture experienced a remarkable apogee. During this very period, a series of monasteries were built on the slopes of Mount Hymettus. Among them was Asterion Monastery, an exceptionally beautiful building, overlooking Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
from an altitude of 545 meters (1,770 feet) from a cavity on one of the slopes.
Then, in the 10th century, "St. John of the Hunters", also called the "Philosopher`s Monastery", was built on the north side of the mountain. The Monastery of St. John the Theologian, at the foot of Hymettus on the outskirts of Papagou
Papagou
Papagou is a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece. The city is named after Marshal Alexandros Papagos, a Greek Army General who served in the Second World War...
and the Karea Monastery, above Messogia, were also constructed at approximately the same time.
However, the Kaisariani Monastery was the most renowned and the richest of all. There are no written testimonies about it before the Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
occupation. Its apogee seems to have been between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th . In 1204, Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
submitted Kaisariani Monastery to the jurisdiction of the Latin Archbishop of Athens. When, in 1458, the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
occupied Attica, Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
went to the monastery and, according to Jacob Spon (1675), a French doctor from Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, that is where he was given the key to the city.
In 1678, Patriarch Dionysus IV defined the monastery as being Stavropigiki, that is to say, free and independent of the metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
: its only obligation was to perform funeral rites. Later on, in 1792, Patriarch Neophytos VII retracted the monastery's freedom with a Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
; it was, once again under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Athens. From 1824 onwards, the monastery was "submitted to abject treatment. What had previously been instrumental in enlightening mankind and saving souls, was now being used as a palace for cows, fowl and horses".
During its apogee, it had hosted many significant spiritual figures of the time, such as Theophanis in 1566 and Ioannis Doriano in 1675, the Abbot Izekel Stephanaki, who was knowledgeable in Greek literature and history, and more particularly, Platonic philosophy. From 1722 until 1728, Theophanis Kavallaris taught courses in grammar and sciences there.
Kaisariani Monastery's library was renowned and most probably owned documents from antiquity's libraries. According to the demogerontes (the council of elders) of the time, "the manuscripts were sold to the English as membranes whereas the rest of the documents were used in the metropolis` kitchens." During the Turkish siege of Athens, the manuscripts were transported to the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
and were used to ignite fuses.
The fertile surrounding lands belonged to the monastery, as did various other holdings, such as St. John the Baptist, next to the Kaisariani road or those in Anavyssos.
The monks' income was substantiated by the produce from their olive groves, grape vines and beehives. In a letter, dated 1209, Michael Hionati reports that "the produce from the beehives was given to the Hegumen of Kaisariani Monastery. However, four years later, he complains about not having received any income from the monastery: the Abbot gave, as an excuse that the beehives had been destroyed. The monks were also renowned for concocting medicine from various herbs.
The monuments
A high wall surrounds the buildings, the catholiconCatholicon
Catholicon may refer to:* Catholicon, the conventual church at the centre of an abbey* Katholikon, the primary church in an Orthodox or Eastern Catholic monastery* Catholicon , part of the Holy Liturgy of Mor Yakub of the Syriac Orthodox Church...
(main church), the refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, the bathhouse and the cells, so that, even today, they seem quite well protected. In its original design, there were two entrances, the main entrance on the eastern side and a larger one on the other side.
The monastery was built on the ruins of a lay building. The drawing of Kaisariani Monastery, done in 1745 by a Russian pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
named Barski, depicts the following buildings: the catholicon on the eastern side of the wall around the abbey, the bathhouse on the south side and, bordering it, the monks' cells with the Benizelou tower and the refectory in the western wing. Beside the vegetable garden on the southwestern side of the monastery, you can see the monks' cemetery and a newer church.
The catholicon and the bathhouse are the original 11th century buildings whereas the narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
and the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
as well as St. Anthony
Anthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
's chapel are additions dated after the Turkish occupation. The buildings are all disposed around a courtyard. The catholicon was on the eastern side, the refectory and the kitchen, on the western side and the bathhouse, which was transformed into the monastery's olive oil extractor during the Turkish rule, and, finally, the monks' cells in front of which there was an open arcade.
The catholicon is dedicated to the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple and had the basic cross shape, faithful to Greek tradition, according to M. Sotiriou, or the semicircular quadripartite according to Anastassios Orlandos.
The entrance of the temple was located on its western side without being separated by a narthex. There was another entrance on the northern side: with a marble doorstep and a Roman architrave. The narthex, which was surely built before 1602, is a vaulted ceiling with a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
in the middle.
The frescoes
The oldest frescoFresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
is located on the external southern wall of the catholicon that now includes St. Anthony's chapel. It is of the Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
, turned to the left in prayer. Its sweeping brushstrokes suggest a 14th century rural technique.
The church and its narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
are decorated with frescoes, dating from the Turkish Occupation. The wealthy Benizelos family subsidized the frescoes, painted in 1682 by Ioannis Ypatos, from the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, according to the inscription on the western wall. The cupola represents Christ Pantokrator. On the bi-partite rosette, are depicted; the Preparation of the Throne
Hetoimasia
The Hetoimasia, Etimasia , prepared throne, Preparation of the Throne, ready throne or Throne of the Second Coming is the Christian version of the symbolic subject of the empty throne found in the art of the ancient world, whose meaning has changed over the centuries...
, the Virgin, John the Forerunner, the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s and a composite fresco of the Four Evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
are represented. On the chapel's lunette, the Virgin Platytera enthroned, with angels seated on either side.
Although the frescoes do not distinguish themselves with any innovations in fresco technique, they nonetheless remain prototypes of the 16th century frescoes found in the Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. During the 17th century, frescoes became more and more popular in style and technique. This tendency is clearly illustrated in the narthex's frescoes. The painter's will to distance himself from the Cretan school
Cretan School
The term Cretan School describes an important school of icon painting, also known as Post-Byzantine art, which flourished while Crete was under Venetian rule during the late Middle Ages, reaching its climax after the Fall of Constantinople, becoming the central force in Greek painting during the...
is obvious.
The bath house
Kaisariani's bath housePublic bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
, along with those that have been salvaged in Daphni and Dervenossalessi of Kithairon
Kithairon
Kithairon is a mountain range about 10 mi long, in central Greece, standing between Boeotia in the north and Attica in the south. It is mainly composed of limestone and rises to 4,623 ft...
, are examples of 11th century architecture which confirm the belief that monks often used bath houses. Warm water was used for heating the cells, the refectory, etc.
The buildings located on the left of the eastern entrance, across from the south side of the catholicon encircle a natural source. It is covered by a semi-spherical unvaulted cupola, which is supported by four pendentives. These small pendentives, which support the protective roof, have been destroyed because, as we have previously mentioned, it was transformed into an olive press. The jars, which have been preserved, testify to this transformation.
The great earthquake of 1981 caused serious damage to parts of the monastery complex, particularly to the bath house and refectory. Eleven years later, the Minister of Cultural Affairs
Minister for Culture (Greece)
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is a government department of Greece entrusted with the preservation of the country's cultural heritage, the arts, as well as sports, through the subordinate General Secretariat for Sport...
appointed the Philodassiki Enossi Athinon, a Greek NGO, to administer the restoration of the bath house under the supervision of the First Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Archeological Service. Before the restoration could be completed, the 1999 earthquake once again interrupted the works, this time for many years.
A later Minister of Cultural Affairs assigned the implementation of a new study, drafted by the Directory of Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine Monuments of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to the Philodassiki inasmuch as they would also assume complete financial responsibility for the works. The works were nonetheless resumed, to be again interrupted, indefinitely this time, for technical reasons that had nothing to do with the Philodassiki itself.
The refectory
The refectoryRefectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
and the kitchen are located in an independent building on the western side of the wall, across from the catholicon. The refectory is a long rectangular shaped vaulted room, which is subdivided into two spaces. The kitchen on the south side of the refectory is square shaped with a vaulted roof in which there is a chimney. The hearth is in the middle of the room, surrounded by a step, built at the foot of its four walls. The building probably dates from the 16th or 17th century.
The monks' cells, along with Benizelou's tower, occupy nearly the whole southern length of the garden.
In cooperation with the Archeological Service, Philodassiki restored the complex of the Holy Monastery of Kaisariani between 1952-1955; the association supervised and funded all of the works. Tassos Margaritof restored the Meta-Byzantine icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s it contained.