Red Church (Vourgareli)

The Red Church (Greek: Κόκκινη Εκκλησιά) is a Byzantine church from c. 1280 in the village of Vourgareli in the Tzoumerka region of Greece.[1]

Red Church
Religion
AffiliationChurch of Greece
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusmonument
Year consecratedc. 1280
Location
LocationVourgareli, Greece
Geographic coordinates39°21′17″N 21°11′10″E
Architecture
Completedc. 1280

It was founded as the katholikon of a monastery by the brothers John and Theodore Tzimiskes, who held the rank of protostrator.[1] The church was originally dedicated to the birth of the Theotokos, but became known as the "Red Church" due to the colour of its masonry. Historically, it was also known as "Panagia of Vella" (Παναγία Βελλάς), as it was a metochi of the Vella Monastery, and as "Royal Monastery" (Βασιλομονάστηρο), due to its importance.[1]

Due to their strong similarity, it has been suggested that the church was built by the same workshop that erected the Theotokos Peribleptos church (also known as St. Clement) in Ohrid in 1295.[2]

References
  1. Nikos Karavasilis (18 May 2018). "Κόκκινη Εκκλησιά: Το στολίδι των Τζουμέρκων" [The Red Church: The Jewel of the Tzoumerka] (in Greek). Naftemporiki. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  2. "Ohrid - St Kliment". Late Byzantine Period (1204–1453). Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1998. Retrieved 11 October 2020.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.