The Panagia Agiosoritissa or Hagiosoritissa (Greek: Ἁγιοσορίτισσα) is the name for a type of Marian icon, showing Mary without child, slightly from the side with both hands raised in prayer. The type is known in Latin as Maria Advocata.

Names

The names used for the icon, ''Hagiosoritissa'' and, in Russian, ''Khalkopratiskaya'' (Халкопратийская), derive from the church of the Holy Urn (Greek: Ἁγία Σορός, in reference to the urn containing the

Cincture of the Theotokos The Cincture of the Theotokos is believed to be a relic of the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary), now in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, which is venerated by the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church. The word "cincture" (Greek: ''zone'') is sometim ...

) 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 (" ...

's Chalkoprateia (Χαλκοπρατεῖα, "copper market") district. In English, the type is also known as ''Madonna Advocate'' (the prayer gesture interpreted as an act of

intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy sp ...

on behalf of the faithful).

History

The appellation Ἁγιοσορίτισσα is first recorded in Byzantine seals of the 11th century, and it appears minted on coins made under

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...

(). The type was widespread in the Byzantine empire and in the Balkans, but less so in Russia.

Examples

Such an icon is known to have been in the

Hagios Demetrios The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios ( el, Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki (in Central Macedonia, Greece), dating from a time when it was the se ...

basilica in

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

in the 6th century, but was lost in the

Byzantine Iconoclasm The Byzantine Iconoclasm ( gr, Εικονομαχία, Eikonomachía, lit=image struggle', 'war on icons) were two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial a ...

. An early Byzantine icon (7th century?) is preserved in the church of Santa Maria del Rosario on the

Monte Mario Monte Mario (English: Mount Mario or Mount Marius) is the hill that rises in the north-west area of Rome (Italy), on the right bank of the Tiber, crossed by the Via Trionfale. It occupies part of Balduina, of the territory of Municipio Roma I ...

, Rome. The

Madonna di sant'Alessio Madonna di Sant'Alessio ''(Madonna of St. Alexis; Madonna of Intercession)'' is an icon, probably of Byzantine origin, of the Blessed Virgin now in the Basilica of the Saints Bonifacio and Alexis on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is on ...

in the Basilica of the Saints Bonifacio and Alexis on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...

in Rome is also of the type. An early Russian example is the

Theotokos of Bogolyubovo The Theotokos of Bogolyubovo, or Bogolubovo Icon, is a Theotokos Agiosoritissa, a type of Marian icon, which is venerated and perceived as wonderworking by the Russian Orthodox Church. The icon was painted in 1157 at the request of Grand Prince ...

(12th century). The church of

Santa Maria in Via Lata Santa Maria in Via Lata is a church on the Via del Corso (the ancient Via Lata), in Rome, Italy. It stands diagonal from the church of San Marcello al Corso. It is the Station days for Tuesday, the fifth week of lent. History The first Christi ...

in Rome has a 13th-century icon of this type. The treasury of the Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht has an 11th century enamel decorated plaque intended for a

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...

, that depicts an image of the ''Panagia Agiosoritissa''. The high-quality enamel work is very colorful in shades of blue, green, red, yellow, and white accented by meticulously shaped gold cloison patterns. The piece was made in a fine imperial workshop that was located in Constantinople. Mary's facial features are accentuated with gold cloison outlines. She is shown wearing a dark blue '' maphorion'', with her hands clasped in prayer and her face turned towards Jesus.

References

Sources

* O. E. Etingof
Агиосоритисса
''Православная энциклопедия'' vol. 1 (2000), p. 254. * David Lathoud, "Le sanctuaire de la Vierge des Chalcopratia", ''Échos d'Orient'' 23 (1924), 36–62. * Tommaso Bertelè, "La Vergine aghiosoritissa nella numismatica bizantina", ''Revue des études byzantines'' 16 (1958), 233f. * M. Andaloro, "Note sui temi iconografici della Deesis e dell'Hagiosoritissa", '' Riv. dell'Istituto Nazionale di Archeologia e Storia dell'Arte'' 17 (1970), 85–130. {{Authority control 7th-century works Byzantine icons Eastern Orthodox icons of the Virgin Mary

Names

History

Examples

See also

References

Sources