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The iconographic programme

The term "church" was adopted by Christianity through the apostolic texts to define the act of communal and sacred gathering, in a specific place. From the 2nd century onwards, when the liturgical process was formed, these places were private residences, the Domus Ecclesiae, which were adapted to the needs of worship. It is therefore clear that the church, as a building, can be in any place suitable to submit the spiritual transcendence, where the liturgy takes place. The frescoes, in the early churches, played the role of visual literacy, due to the low educational level of the faithful, in reading and writing. After all, this was a method of communication known since prehistoric times.
The history of ecclesiastical art and architecture was formed in direct relation to its liturgical process. This process developed a kind of regulation, to better meet the needs of the worship. However, those rules, depending on the location, concern a community of people with certain mentality, activities, and participation. Therefore, they cannot consider as completely fixed and unchanged but variable, to meet exactly the needs of each historical period, the needs of society, and the culture they entail. The liturgical formulation, of course, cannot be subject to constant change, since, through the doctrines, there is a framework of inviolable positions that determine the quintessence of the theological principles they imply.


Fully respecting this context, the iconographic programme of St. Spyridon chapel, was shaped so that the liturgical process involves the concept of participation of each believer, a concept that varies in each region and era. Specifically, the purpose was for the relationship between the sacred and iconographic sequence to be consistent with the historical, cultural, and social tissue, in the modern space-time context.
To this end, the iconographic program combines liturgical and historical elements, attuned to the physical and the depicted space. The cult & narrative compositions are in a dynamic relationship to serve the spiritual need of the communion. In addition, they highlight the monumental character of the church, as well as, the historical significance of the place, thus, contributing to the collective memory, an imperative of modern society.

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On the west side, in the composition of the Restoration of the Icons, two interconnected and distinct levels are condensed in one scene: the commemorative depiction of the historical event (The Restoration of the Icons) and the theological meaning of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Both secular and religious representatives of the time participate in these overlapping levels. The empress Theodora, the young Michael,  the patriarch Methodius, and other ecclesiastical figures, attribute the dynamism of a historical event, through the visual semantic elements of religious and spiritual content.

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On the north side, the three narrative compositions of miraculous events, aim at the collective memory of recent Greek history, emphasizing the dynamic role of Orthodoxy in social and national affairs.

Two compositions, entitled The Doxology and The Rescue of Hieromonks, were based on the work of Karousos, at the Monastery of the Great Cave of Kalavrita. These are performances that narrate miraculous events, with emphasis on the religious character of the Revolution of 1821.

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The first depiction of the newest miracle of Saint Spyridon aims to integrate this spiritual epiphany into the modern era. The depiction concerns the redefinition of the meaning of the miracle, in the present, as it brings the believer closer to the transcendental values, narrating an event closer to them, timewise. On the other hand, it strengthens the collective social memory and, therefore, creates more dynamic relationships within the community.

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Focusing on developing the conditions of fulfilling the need for more direct communication of religion with the community, but mainly redefining the religious meaning in different social conditions, St. Spyridon's iconographic programme ensures its essential participation in the urban and spiritual culture of the third millennium. It provides a unity of knowledge to members of the community, yet not limited, that is related to the richness of a monument, open to spiritual dialogue, in the current demands of the social context.

Once again, it may be necessary to build this knowledge module, through a new visual literacy, which leads to the cultivation and development of historical consciousness.

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