Hosios Loukas () is a historic walled

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

situated near the town of

Distomo :"Distomo" ''may also refer to a work by Federico García Lorca'' Distomo () 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 the seat and a muni ...

, in

Boeotia Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinisation of names, Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia (; modern Greek, modern: ; ancient Greek, ancient: ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Central Greece (adm ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

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

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the Fall of Cons ...

and

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

, and has been listed on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s since 1990, along with the monasteries of Nea Moni and Daphnion.

History

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

Mount Helicon Mount Helicon (; ) 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 Corinth. Some researchers maintain that Helicon ...

. 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 Chr ...

Venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

(Greek: ''Hosios'')

Luke of Steiris Luke of Steiris, also known as Luke, Luke the Younger, Luke of Hellas, Luke the Wonder-worker (Greek: Λουκάς ό θαυματουργός; 896 — 953 AD) was a Byzantine saint of the tenth century AD who lived in the themes (provinces) of ...

(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 or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

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 ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

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

Romanos I Romanos I Lakapenos or Lekapenos (; 870 – 15 June 948), Latinisation of names, Latinized as Romanus I Lacapenus or Romanus I Lecapenus, was Byzantine emperor from 920 until his deposition in 944, serving as regent for and senior co-ruler of ...

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

Romanos II Romanos II (; 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 wife Theophano helped their sons Basil II ...

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

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

(''

Panagia Panagia (, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panayia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, Mother of God, used especially in Orthodox Christianity and E ...

'') 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 (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

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

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen (, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, or an archpriest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of ...

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

Nicholas the Pilgrim Nicholas the Pilgrim (; ; 1075 – 2 June 1094), sometimes Nicholas of Trani, is a saint of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church. Biography Nicholas was born at Steiri in Boeotia, Greece, where his solitary life as a shepherd led him to ...

, a local shepherd, lived for some time in the second half of the eleventh century in the monastery until he was expelled due to his abnormal behaviour. 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 Byzantin ...

in 1206, the legate Benedict of Porto gave Hosios Loukas to the canons of the Holy Sepulchre.

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 Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. The walls are

opus mixtum Example of ''opus mixtum'' in the substruction of Brest Castle, France ''Opus mixtum'' (Latin: "mixed work"), or ''opus vagecum'' and ''opus compositum'', was an ancient Roman construction technique. It can consist in a mix of ''opus reticulatu ...

(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 A ''katholikon'' or catholicon () or ''sobor'' () refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church: * The cathedral of a diocese. * The major Church (building), church building (temple) of a monastery corresponding to a conventual ...

'', 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 A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

(without a drum) rests upon four

squinch In architecture, a squinch is a structural element used to support the base of a circular or octagonal dome that surmounts a square-plan chamber. Squinches are placed to diagonally span each of the upper internal corners ( vertices) where the w ...

es 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 ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...

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 () 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 upheavals and transformations of the 7th–8th c ...

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

Christ Pantocrator In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator (, ) is a specific depiction of Christ. or , literally 'ruler of all', but usually translated as 'almighty' or 'all-powerful', is derived from one of many names of God in Judaism. The Pantokrator i ...

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 arts, 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'' ...

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, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

chandelier A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...

s, 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 it is covered by the antimension, which a ...

s. Only a fraction of these items are still

in situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...

, 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 . ''Iconoclasm'' may also be considered as a back-formation from ''iconoclast'' (Greek: εἰκοκλάστης). The corresponding Greek word for iconoclasm is εἰκονοκλασία, ''eikonoklasia''. is the social belie ...

The Burial Crypt

Beneath the great domed

is a burial

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

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

; and three vaulted passages, referred to formerly as bone vaults. The crypt’s

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es 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

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

s near the entrance. The crypt contains

es on the entryway and its vault, eight

s 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. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, 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 external party. In ...

s and holy men,

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

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 known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

period." It is believed that most if not all of the

es 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, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

and who later in life became the

of Hosios Loukas. The

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

of the

contains a prosthesis niche, an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, and a chancel barrier which all indicate that the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

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 was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figu ...

. When Hosios Loukas was frequented by

pilgrim The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

s or members of

’s healing

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

, visitors would sleep not only in the

, but in the

itself where the

tomb A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () 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 '' immurement'', alth ...

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 , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, 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 with procession of angels File:Hosios Loukas (south west chapel, groin vault) - anonymous saints.jpg, Fresco of the interior depicting martyrs File:Hosios Loukas Katholikon (Dome) - Pantocrator 01.jpg, View of the dome File:Hosios Loukas (narthex) - center ceiling 02 (October, 2014) by shakko.jpg, Clockwise:
St John, Archangel Gabriel, Virgin Mary, Archangel Michael
(narthex mosaic) 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 (; ''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 venerated as a saint by multiple denominations. Life As rel ...

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, Clockwise:
St Bartholomew, St John the Theologian, St Peter, St Paul (crypt fresco) File:Hosios Loukas Crypt (south west groin-vault).jpg, Clockwise:
St Theoctistus, St Maximus, St Abramius, St Dorotheus File:Hosios Loukas Crypt - Doubting Thomas 01.jpg, Touching of Thomas/Antipascha
(crypt fresco) 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 (diakonikon) - Fiery furnace 01.jpg, Three youths in the fiery furnace 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 11th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire