ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΑ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΑ Ι.Μ.Ι.Σ. ENG

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same representation, St.
George the Dragon-slayer, and
a frontal monastic saint on the
north wall.
The church of the All-Holy
Virgin Keragrammeni [‘the
Decorated Lady’], dedicated to
the Birth of the Theotokos
(September 8), is located at a
distance of seven kilometres
at a higher elevation from the
previous churches. The singlenave
church has high quality All-Holy Virgin Keragrammeni.
wall painting decoration in its
interior, which dates to the beginning of the 15th century. Its iconographic programme
includes an extensive Christological cycle as well as an equally developed Marian cycle.
The depictions of Christ enthroned, with the eponym ‘Giver of Light’ on the south wall as
well as the All-Holy Virgin the Vrefokratousa [holding the Child] on the north, accompanied
by two angels, are indicative of the high quality of the church’s mural paintings. The two
representations next to the altar screen hold the place of a pilgrimage icon.
Even though the exact date of the foundation of the monastery is unknown, its
function is witnessed already from the 16th century while the catholicon of the
early 15th century shows the use of the space from the late Byzantine period. The
monastery is built on a rocky outcrop, east of the settlement of
Meseleroi, while the single-nave catholicon is located in the
west section of its exterior area. The extant one-storey buildings
of the monastery develop around it after a phase of rebuilding
in the late 20th century. The wall painting decoration, which
was completed in 1401/2 by the monk Myron Kalodrosios,
was partially destroyed during the later expansion to the west.
The wall painting decoration is an
excellent specimen of Palaeologan
art; it includes scenes from the
Christological cycle, with particular
emphasis on the cycle of the
Passions, as well as the Birth and
the Entrance into the Temple from
the Marian cycle. In the exterior of
particular interest is the relief
decoration of the base of the single-light belfry with vegetal decoration and three masks,
features of Renaissance art at the end of the 16th century, a period during which the west
section of the church was added.
HOLY MONASTERY
OF THE ALL-HOLY VIRGIN
VRYOMENI [‘THE ABUNDANT’]
AT MESELEROI
Concelebrating hierarchs.
The Pantocrator, detail. St. Mamas.