Chrysa Savvidou

The Vlacherna Monastery lies a short distance from Kyllini in the most fertile part of the Peloponnese. In the 13th century, the area around the monastery was settled by Catholic monks, probably Franciscans. The name of the monastery alludes to the church of this name in Constantinople, though no connection can be established from the historical sources. Despite the lack of written testimonia or references in chronicles, the monument has been the object of considerable archaeological and architectural study. The fact that the church is still in use has prevented its collapse as a result of abandonment. The same is not true, however, of the buildings surrounding the church, as a modern building complex to house an asylum has been built in their place.

Vlacherna is an impressive amalgam of different techniques and artistic trends.¹ The various phases can be distinguished at a glance. The nave, in a Byzantine style, formed the original nucleus. The next phase followed in the 13th c. with the Gothic details and the portico in front of the narthex, which is a good example of Italian Gothic. The narthex was later crowned by another addition in the 17th or 18th c.²

The interest of this church lies mainly in the details added by the Catholic monks, and in the successful manner in which this decoration was incorporated into the Byzantine architecture. It is one of the few examples in Greece in which Western medieval art is blended so well with Byzantine elements, forming a new type of architecture.³