The Panaghia Church of Lindos
A Greek sanctuary of stunning religious frescoes
The ancient Greek Orthodox Church of the village of Lindos in Rhodes is adorned with colorful, striking, unforgettable frescoed wall paintings.
Fresco
Fresco, the art of painting on plastered walls, was one of the ancient Greek civilization's art forms and the interiors of their villas and palaces were covered with fanciful impressions of life and nature.
To create a fresco, a wall is prepared with a thin layer of white lime plaster. Then the artist outlines the main features and sketches in the important details. Next, the pigments are applied while the surface is still wet so that the colors soak in and make the painted images durable. In fact, the paintings become part of the wall and last literally forever.
Christian images were a popular theme of medieval fresco artists. Very few of the frescoes painted in ancient Greece have survived. One example is a tomb discovered in southern Italy, at Paestum (a Greek colony), containing frescoes dating back to 470 B.C. These frescoes depict scenes of the life of ancient Greece, such as men reclining at a banquet or diving into the sea. Greek frescoes have been destroyed through the ravages of time, the destruction from earthquakes, or the centuries of the Ottoman Turk occupation of Greece.
Lindos, Greece
The beautiful Greek island of Rhodes is in the Dodecanese region of the Aegean Sea. Its charming town of Lindos is about 3,000 years old and is rich with history, being an intriguing mix of the people who have resided there: the Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Franks, Knights of St. John, Moslem Ottoman Turks, and certainly Greeks.
The Knights of Saint John were a religious order that built the hospital at Rhodes (hence, their alternative name "Hospitallers") to aid pilgrims traveling from Europe to Jerusalem and the Holy Land (much like pilgrims travel today to Mont St. Michel in France or Assisi in Italy). Unlike us, they walked and were beset by troubles such as those described in Chaucer's "Pilgrims' Progress." When Greece was overrun by the Moslems in the 14th century, the Knights formed a military force and built fortifications on Rhodes.
In Lindos, many of the houses were built of hand-hewn stone with doors and windows of the medieval type. The town is a fascinating archaeological site, sitting as it does on an ancient city which of course cannot be unearthed in order to preserve the present-day city. Houses from the 17th century mix yet contrast with the restaurants and shops of today.
Panaghia Church
In the main square, hemmed in by narrow twisting walkways and village houses and shops and crowds of tourists, is the Greek Orthodox church of Our Lady ["Panaghia"], a cross-shaped building with an octagonal dome, whitewashed walls, and red tiled roof. It was built by the Knights in the 14th century. It is especially notable for its magnificent interior wall-paintings.
On the ground before the entranceway is one of Lindos' distinctive mosaic pavements made of alternating black and white river pebbles. To enter the church, visitors are expected to dress properly: no shorts, bare arms, or emblazoned T-shirts. Those inappropriately dressed are provided a wrap with which to cover themselves. Inside the church all photography is forbidden.
Visitors step into the church and are astounded by the quality, colors, and abundance of the frescoes. Every inch of wall space is covered with magnificent frescoes, done by Gregorio of Symi in the 1700s. They depict Biblical scenes and Christian imagery of Mary, Jesus, and the saints. In the front of the church is the spectacular carved wooden iconostasis. From overhead hang large bronze layered candle chandeliers.
As viewers turn to face the back of the church and walk out, they look up over the doorway where a huge colorful fresco bursts with the story of The Last Judgment. Pale twisting bodies writhe together in the orange and red flames of hell. It seems a strong message of what can befall those who don't follow the ways of the church.
Glossary:
Panaghia: one of the Greek Orthodox names used to address the Mother of God. In Orthodox art, the term Panaghia denotes an icon depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child.
Fresco: Italian for "fresh," a technique of wall painting used extensively for murals. Because fresco is a difficult technique, its use has been limited. Fresco has a long history: the technique was used in the Minoan art of ancient Crete and later in India, China, Greece, and Rome. Its most sustained and sophisticated use was in Italy between 1300 and 1800.
Iconostasis: a wall of icons, religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church.
Sources:
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes3.html
http://www.lindianet.gr/history.html
