Religious monuments of Old Xanthi
This route is about 2.3 km, about 70 minutes and of moderate difficulty. The visitor will have the opportunity to tour religious monuments of old Xanthi. From the Sunne mosque to the chapel of Agioi Theodoroi you will find a reasonable number of Christian churches and chapels, mosques and the Catholic church that testify to the religious identity of the inhabitants and at the same time highlight the multicultural and multireligious character that the city of Xanthi had and still has today.

Their position in the urban fabric of the city highlights the importance of their character (with the layout of secular buildings around them), the need of residents for religious expression and their timeless peaceful coexistence. Of interest are both their architectural configuration and their interior decoration with icons, frescoes, wood carvings on the iconostasis in Christian churches and tiles with floral decoration in the mihrab of the mosques.

49. St. Joseph's Catholic Chapel

Brief documentation:

The original building that existed here belonged to the family of Konstantinos Sgourov. In 1925 the descendants of the family sold the house to the Catholic monk Pere Gaetan Van Papel and from the following year the Catholic Church of St. Joseph, which was under the jurisdiction of the order of the Franciscan Friars Minor, began operating on the ground floor. The existence of a small Catholic population in the city created the need for the establishment of a religious center, where they could perform their religious duties.
The Catholics of Xanthi were initially served by the Lazarists of Kavala, who offered their religious services, apart from Xanthi, to Serres, Drama and Chalkidiki. In 1888 there was probably a Catholic church in the name of St. Michael.
After the end of World War II, the church of St. Joseph, as well as the rest of the Catholic churches of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, passed under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholic Church of Thessaloniki. The building, after its long-term abandonment, was demolished in 1975.
In the early 1990s, a two-storey building was erected on the site where the church was originally located, on the ground floor of which today there is the Catholic chapel of St. Joseph.
The original building was a two-storey building, probably of folk traditional architecture. We do not know more about the architecture of the building, as it has been demolished since the mid-1970s.


Category of thematic interest: RELIGIOUS INTEREST


History:

hematic interest    RELIGIOUS INTEREST
5. History    The original building that existed here belonged to the family of Konstantinos Sgourov. In 1925 the descendants of the family sold the house to the Catholic monk Pere Gaetan Van Papel and from the following year the Catholic Church of St. Joseph, which was under the jurisdiction of the order of the Franciscan Friars Minor, began operating on the ground floor. The existence of a small Catholic population in the city created the need for the establishment of a religious center, where they could perform their religious duties.
After the end of World War II, the church of St. Joseph, as well as the rest of the Catholic churches of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, passed under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholic Church of Thessaloniki.
The building, after its long-term abandonment, was demolished in 1975.
In the early 1990s, a two-storey building was erected on the site where the church was originally located, on the ground floor of which today there is the Catholic chapel of St. Joseph.


Elements of architecture:

The original building was a two-storey building, probably of folk traditional architecture. We do not know more about the architecture of the building, as it has been demolished since the mid-1970s.


Description of other elements:

The Catholics of Xanthi were initially served by the Lazarists of Kavala, who offered their religious services, apart from Xanthi, to Serres, Drama and Chalkidiki. In 1888 there was probably a Catholic church in the name of St. Michael.


Purpose - Use: Religious building


Characterization: Government Gazette 612B/30-4-1976 and Government Gazette 661/Β/17-5-1976, Government Gazette 1097/14.12-1995


Dating (period): Early 1990s


Year of construction: Early 1990s


Location of the monument: 41.144255, 24.889135


Bibliographic references:

•    Thomas Exarchou, Islets Polis Xanthi 2, P.A.KE.THRA., Xanthi 2003


 Address: Pindarou 11b


Visitable: No

 

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