Hosios Loukas ( el, Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς) is a historic walled

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

situated near the town of

Distomo :"Distomo" ''may also refer to a work by Federico García Lorca'' Distomo ( el, Δίστομο) is a town in western Boeotia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Distomo-Arachova-Antikyra, of which it is ...

, in

Boeotia Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. Founded in the mid-10th century, the monastery is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

, and has been listed on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s since 1990, along with the monasteries of

Nea Moni Nea Moni ( el, Νέα Μονή, lit. "New Monastery") is an 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Provateio Oros Mt. in the island's interior, about 15 km f ...

and Daphnion.

History

The monastery of Hosios Loukas is situated at a scenic site on the slopes of

Mount Helicon Mount Helicon ( grc, Ἑλικών; ell, Ελικώνας) is a mountain in the region of Thespiai in Boeotia, Greece, celebrated in Greek mythology. With an altitude of , it is located approximately from the north coast of the Gulf of Corint ...

. It was founded in the early 10th century AD by the

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cat ...

(Greek: ''Hosios'')

Luke of Steiris Luke of Steiris (also Luke Thaumaturgus, Luke the Younger, Luke of Hellas, Luke the Wonder-worker; 896 — 953 AD) was a Byzantine saint of the tenth century AD who lived in the themes (provinces) of Hellas and Peloponnese in Greece, and who foun ...

(Greek: ''Lukas''), whose

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

are kept in the monastery to this day. St Luke (not to be confused with the Evangelist author of the Gospel of Saint Luke), was a hermit who died on 7 February 953. He is famous for having predicted the conquest of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

by Emperor Romanos. It was unclear if he was referring to

Romanos I Romanos I Lekapenos ( el, Ρωμανός Λεκαπηνός; 870 – 15 June 948), Latinized as Romanus I Lecapenus, was Byzantine emperor from 920 until his deposition in 944, serving as regent for the infant Constantine VII. Origin Romanos ...

, the emperor at the time. However the island was actually reconquered by Nicephorus Phocas under

Romanos II Romanos II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Ρωμανός, 938 – 15 March 963) was Byzantine Emperor from 959 to 963. He succeeded his father Constantine VII at the age of twenty-one and died suddenly and mysteriously four years later. His son Bas ...

. It is believed that it was during the latter's reign (959-963) that the monastery's Church of the Theotokos (''

Panagia Panagia ( el, Παναγία, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panajia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern ...

'') was constructed. The main shrine of the monastery is the tomb of St. Luke, originally situated in the vault, but later placed at the juncture of the two churches. The monastery derived its wealth (including funds required for construction) from the fact that the relics of St. Luke were said to have exuded ''myron'', a sort of perfumed oil which produced healing miracles. Pilgrims hoping for miraculous help were encouraged to sleep by the side of the tomb in order to be healed by incubation. The

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

s around the tomb represent not only St. Luke himself, but also

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

Philotheos offering a likeness of the newly built church to the saint. Under the

Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzant ...

in 1206, the legate Benedict of Porto gave Hosios Loukas to the

canons of the Holy Sepulchre The Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre were a Catholic religious order of canons regular of the Rule of Saint Augustine, said to have been founded in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, then the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, ...

Architecture

The church

The Hosios Loukas, the oldest in the complex, is the only church known with certainty to have been built in the tenth century in its site in mainland Greece. This centralized parallelogram-shaped building is the oldest example of the cross-in-square type in the country; its plan closely follows that of '' Lips Monastery'' in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

. The walls are

opus mixtum Example of ''opus mixtum'' in the substruction of France.html"_;"title="Brest_Castle,_France">Brest_Castle,_France_ ''Opus_mixtum''_(Latin:_"mixed_work"),_or_''opus_vagecum''_and_''opus_compositum'',_was_an_Roman_architecture.html" "title="ran ...

(part brick, part stone, part marble) and display curious

pseudo-kufic Pseudo-Kufic, or Kufesque, also sometimes Pseudo-Arabic, is a style of decoration used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance,Encyclopaedia BritannicaBeautiful Gibberish: Fake Arabic in Medieval and Renaissance Art/ref> consisting of imitation ...

patterns. The Hosios Loukas adjoins a larger cathedral church, or '' Katholikon'', tentatively dated to 1011-12. The Katholikon is the earliest extant domed-octagon church, with eight piers arranged around the perimeter of the '' naos'' (

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

). The hemispherical dome (without a drum) rests upon four squinches which make a transition from the octagonal base under the dome to the square defined by the walls below. The main cube of the church is surrounded by galleries and chapels on all four sides.

Decoration

Hosios Loukas is the largest of three monasteries surviving from the Middle Byzantine period in Greece. It differs from the Daphnion and Nea Moni in that it is dedicated to a single

military saint The Military Saints, Warrior Saints and Soldier Saints are patron saints, martyrs and other saints associated with the military. They were originally composed of the Early Christians who were soldiers in the Roman army during the persecution of ...

. St. Lukes' prophecy about the reconquest of Crete is commemorated by the image of

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

on the exterior wall of the Panagia church: Joshua was considered a model "warrior of the faith", whose help was especially effective in the wars waged against the Arabs. The Katholikon contains the best preserved complex of

s from the period of the

Macedonian Renaissance Macedonian Renaissance ( el, Μακεδονική Αναγέννηση) is a historiographical term used for the blossoming of Byzantine culture in the 9th–11th centuries, under the eponymous Macedonian dynasty (867–1056), following the uphea ...

. However, the complex is not complete: the original image of

Christ Pantocrator In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator ( grc-gre, Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ) is a specific depiction of Christ. ''Pantocrator'' or ''Pantokrator'', literally ''ruler of all'', but usually translated as "Almighty" or "all-po ...

inside the dome is missing, as are the figures of archangels normally placed between the upper windows. There is evidence that the monastery was reputed all over Byzantium for its lavish decoration, liberally applied to all surfaces. Apart from revetment, carving, gold and silver plate,

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

s, and mosaics (especially imposing on curving surfaces), the interior featured a choice assortment of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s, chandeliers, silk curtains, and

altar cloth An altar cloth is used in the Christian liturgy to cover the altar. It serves as a sign of reverence as well as a decoration and a protection of the altar and the sacred vessels. In the orthodox churches is covered by the antimension, which also c ...

s. Only a fraction of these items are still

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

, most notably colored marble facings and window grilles. Notwithstanding the losses, the Katholikon "gives the best impression available anywhere today of the character of a church interior in the first centuries after the end of

Iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...

The Burial Crypt

Beneath the great domed Katholikon is a burial crypt, accessible only by a stairwell on the southern side. The crypt has three distinct areas: the entrance way; the main interior space which includes nine groin-vaulted bays and a sanctuary with a vaulted bay and an

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

; and three vaulted passages, referred to formerly as bone vaults. The crypt’s frescoes were until recently covered in hundreds of years of dust and hidden but in the 1960s the crypt underwent a cleaning by the Greek Archaeological Service which revealed their remarkably well preserved state with the exceptions of the

which has lost most of its plaster exposing brick and stone, as well as the entrance vault and groin vaults which have suffered slight damage from water seepage and minor vandalism, mostly on the lower lunettes near the entrance. The crypt contains frescoes on the entryway and its vault, eight lunettes around the walls with depictions of ''Christ’s Passion'' and ''Resurrection'', and forty medallion portraits of

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s and holy men,

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

s including Philotheos, as well as numerous inscriptions. C.L. Connor claims it has "the most complete programme of wall paintings surviving from the Middle

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

period." It is believed that most if not all of the crypt frescoes were painted after 1048 AD and the death of Theodore Leobachus, a wealthy, government elite believed to have been one of the prominent

patrons Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

and who later in life became the

of Hosios Loukas. The

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

of the crypt contains a prosthesis niche, an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

, and a chancel barrier which all indicate that the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

was likely celebrated here as part of the services of burial and commemoration of revered religious figures, or as part of the ceremonies relating to the healing cult of

Saint Luke Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...

. When Hosios Loukas was frequented by

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

s or members of

’s healing cult, visitors would sleep not only in the Katholikon, but in the crypt itself where the

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...

was kept along with two others, believed to be

was believed to have been a miraculous healer, levitator, miraculous feeder and prophesier during his lifetime; after his death, all of the

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

s associated with him involved the healing power of his tomb. Connor says that accounts in ''The Vita of St. Luke,'' written by an anonymous

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

, indicate that “healing agents” associated with the

include but are not limited to exposure to “oil from the lamp above the tomb, moisture exuded from the tomb, and dreams experienced when sleeping near the tomb in the practice called incubation.” The

was frequented before and after the completion of the complex, but following completion it became the focal point of the miracle cult of

. There is evidence that some wishing for

s stayed for periods of up to six days near the

or in adjacent rooms.

Gallery

File:Hosios Loukas Katholikon (nave, South-West squinch) - Baptism - detail 02.jpg, Interior mosaic File:Hosios Loukas (south west chapel, groin vault) - anonymous saints.jpg, Fresco of the interior File:Hosios Loukas Katholikon (Dome) - Pantocrator 01.jpg, View of the dome File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - center ceiling 02 (October, 2014) by shakko.jpg, Mosaics of the narthex File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - North ceiling - detail 02 (S.John).jpg, St John File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - Ceiling, 2nd arch (S.Mark) 02.jpg, St Mark File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - center ceiling - detail 01 (S.Michael).jpg, St Michael File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - East wall, 3rd arch (S.Paul) 01.jpg, St Paul File:Hosios Loukas (diakonikon, arch) - Dionysius Areopagite.jpg,

Dionysius the Areopagite Dionysius the Areopagite (; grc-gre, Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης ''Dionysios ho Areopagitēs'') was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens, who lived in the first century. A convert to Christianity, he is venerate ...

File:Hosios Loukas (south cross-arm) - Zacharias by shakko.jpg, Zacharias File:GR-osios-loukas-barbara-kap.jpg, View of the lower church (crypt) File:Hosios Loukas Crypt (west groin-vault).jpg, Frescos at the crypt File:Hosios Loukas Crypt (south west groin-vault).jpg, Frescos File:Hosios Loukas Crypt - Doubting Thomas 01.jpg, Fresco at the crypt File:Hosios Loukas Crypt (east groin-vault) - Andrew.jpg, St Andrew File:Hosios Loukas Crypt (east groin-vault) - Luke.jpg, St Luke File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - East wall, right (Harrowing of Hell) 01 (October, 2014) by shakko.jpg

References

Sources

* Efthalia Rentetzi, ''Il Monastero di Hosios Lukas in Focide'', in Ειρμός, n. 1, 2004, Αποστολική Διακονία, pp. 227–382, ISSN 1109-9135
Weblink
. * Efthalia Rentetzi, ''Elements of Classical Style in the mosaic decoration of Hosios Lukas Monastery Phocis, Greece'' in ANISTORITON: Art History, Volume 9, June 2005, Section O052

. * Efthalia Rentetzi, ''Mosaici del monastero di Hosios Lukas in Focide e della basilica marciana: parentele stilistiche'', in Arte - Documento, n. 16, 2002, pp. 66–71, ISSNT IT 1121-0524. * Demus, Otto, ''Byzantine Mosaic Decoration: Aspects of Monumental Art in Byzantium'', Boston, MA: Boston Book and Art Shop, 1955. * Ousterhout, Robert, "Churches and Monasteries," in ''The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies'', edited by Robin Cormack, Elizabeth Jeffreys and John Haldon. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. * Cormack, Robin, "Wall Paintings and Mosaics," in ''The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies'', edited by Robin Cormack, Elizabeth Jeffreys and John Haldon. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. * Oikonomides, Nicholas. "The First Century of the Monastery of Hosios Loukas," in ''Dumbarton Oaks Papers'', vol. 46 (1992).

External links

Official Web Site of Hosios Loukas Monastery

* High-resolution 360° Panoramas o
Hosios Loukas , Art Atlas
{{Authority control Christian monasteries established in the 10th century 11th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Byzantine church buildings in Central Greece Monasteries in Central Greece Eastern Orthodox church buildings World Heritage Sites in Greece Buildings and structures in Boeotia Tourist attractions in Central Greece Macedonian Renaissance architecture 11th-century churches in Greece Byzantine monasteries in Greece Church buildings with domes