Panagia tou Kastrou ( el, Παναγία του Κάστρου, Panagía tou Kástrou,

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 ...

of the Castle), also known as Our Lady of the Castle is a medieval

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

church in the city of

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

, in

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 with ...

. It is located inside the old walled city, and it is the largest surviving Byzantine church of the island. It has historically served as a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church and a Muslim mosque throughout its history as Rhodes was conquered by various states and empires.

History

Panagia tou Kastrou was built as a Greek Orthodox church around the eleventh century. After the capture of Rhodes by the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

, the Byzantine Orthodox church was converted into a Roman Catholic church and archiepiscopal cathedral of the

Latins The Latins were originally an Italic tribe in ancient central Italy from Latium. As Roman power and colonization spread Latin culture during the Roman Republic. Latins culturally "Romanized" or "Latinized" the rest of Italy, and the word Latin ...

, also dedicated to Virgin Mary, under the name ''Sancta Maria Castelli Rodi''. The Byzantine church was remodeled sometime in the first half of the 14th century; this was likely is due to a repair due to the possible collapse of the middle nave with the dome during the earthquake of 1303. The archdiocese of Rhodes was in great poverty at the time, and could not afford the reconstruction of the church. Thus the help of

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...

was asked, who seems to have provided funds for the church. In honour of his contribution they placed his coat of arms next to that of the Hospitaller Grand Master Hélion de Villeneuve. The church seems to have obtained yet another intervention by the Knights, which is dated around the second half of the 15th century and is probably connected to the siege of 1480, during which Panagia tou Kastrou suffered extensive damage. Supporting this dating is the coat of arms of Grand Master

Pierre d'Aubusson Pierre d'Aubusson (1423 – 3 July 1503) was a Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, and a zealous opponent of the Ottoman Empire. Pierre probably joined the Knights of Saint John in 1444 or 1445, and then left for Rhodes. Ear ...

(1476-1503) within a glass case, accompanied by the coats of arms of earlier Grand Masters, Antoni de Fluvian and Jean Bonpart de Lastic, as tribute, apparently for their contributions to restorations. After the island fell to the Ottomans Turks in 1522, it was converted into a mosque, called Enderum Mosque ( tr, Enderun Camii) and it remained so until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, where the portico and the minaret were removed by the Italians who held Rhodes at the time and it was converted back into a Christian church.

Architecture

It is the oldest and largest surviving Byzantine church inside the

medieval town of Rhodes In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire an ...

. The church of Panagia tou Kastrou is located at the eastern end of the

Street of the Knights A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of landform, land adjoining buildings in an urban area, urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as ...

, in the Kollakio of the medieval city, near the seaport. The original core of the building was a cruciform inscribed with dome type; this architectural style is evident until approximately the genesis of arches. After the capture of Rhodes by the Knights Hospitaller, the Byzantine church was remodeled and took the form of a three-aisled Gothic basilica with a transversal aisle. The eastern side of the temple adjoins the sea fortification and is formed externally into a tower with rectangular ramparts. On the west side, above the central entrance door, a large rectangular frame is preserved, which would have housed a painted composition, that is now lost, with the subject of Virgin Mary surrounded by saints and knights. During the period of Ottoman Turkish rule on the island and its conversion to a mosque, a portico was built and a minaret was erected on the south side for its new function as a mosque for Islamic worship; both elements were later removed by the Italians during the restoration works. A fountain dating to 1881 was also added in the courtyard outside the church. Few traces of the church's painted decoration remain. A mural depicting Virgin Mary with the Child and a pair of saints is found on the north-west dome-supporting column (around the second quarter of the fourteenth century) and the figure of Saint Lucia on the southern wall, probably the work of some Western European painter (around the second half of the fourteenth century).

Gallery

File:Panagia tou Kastrou (Rhodes) (19).jpg, The church. File:Rodi, interno di Panagia Kastrou, di fronte all'inizio di via dei Cavalieri - panoramio.jpg, Interior. File:Vaulted ceiling of the Church of Our Lady of the Castle.jpg, The vaulted ceiling. File:Panagia tou Kastrou (Rhodes) (25).jpg, As seen from outside the walls. File:Panagia tou Kastrou (Rhodes) (15).jpg, Corridor. File:Panagia tou Kastrou (Rhodes) (23).jpg, Outside view.

References

External links

* {{Churches in Greece Buildings and structures in Rhodes (city) Former mosques in Greece Mosques converted from churches in Ottoman Greece 11th-century architecture in Greece 11th-century churches Rhodes under the Knights Hospitaller Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Greece Gothic architecture in Greece Medieval sites in Greece Tourist attractions in the South Aegean Basilica churches in Greece Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References

External links