Benefactors of the Greek Orthodox community of Xanthi
This route is about 2 km, about 60 minutes and of moderate difficulty. In it, the visitor will be able to tour buildings of architectural or religious interest at the same time, which were either built thanks to the donation of a benefactor from Xanthi, or are related to the residence or shop of the benefactor's family.

The role of benefactors was particularly important for the Greek Orthodox Christian populations during the Ottoman period, since they took care of the construction and decoration of schools, churches and buildings of public character (e.g. clubs) and thus contributed to the preservation of the ethnic and religious identity of the community.

The visitor starts from the chapel of Zoodochos Pigi on Lefkou Pyrgou Street and ends at the chapel of Agia Paraskevi in the heart of the old town. Along the way he will learn about the tobacco benefactors An. Sigalas, P. Stalios, M. Matsinis, the Kougioumtzoglou family, the teacher D. Chasirtzoglou, M. Floris etc. He will also "meet" the metropolitans of Xanthi and Peritheoriou Eugenios, under whose guidance and encouragement the churches of the old town were rebuilt and decorated after the catastrophic earthquake of 1829, and Ioakeim Sgouros, who rebuilt the Metropolitan Mansion and part of the monasteries.

Important were also the donations of professional guilds to the churches, such as the shoemakers' and the cobblers’ unions, which donated to the church of Akathist Hymn the icon of the Holy Trinity, or of Epirotan G. Kagialidis, who dedicated to the Metropolitan Church the icon of St. George of Ioannina, or of the Velios family, who donated several icons to Kavaki.

73. Chapel of Agios Fanourios

Brief documentation:

On the uphill of Pygmalionos Christidi Street, at its junction with Vyronos Street, there is the Chapel of Ag. Fanourios. This chapel is one of the most modern chapels in the Akathist Hymn district. The church of the Akathist Hymn is located right next to the chapel, on Vyronos Street. In the same spot where the chapel stands today, a corner house with sachnisi, built according to traditional architecture, is depicted in old photographs, which allegedly housed the priest of the temple of the Akathist Hymn.
The Chapel of Agios Fanourios is a small single-aisled building, without a prominent niche for the altar. The main door of the building has two small windows on either side, while the chapel is covered with a small dome, which is covered with tiles.
The chapel celebrates every year on August 27, the day of Agios Fanourios, and the housewives prepare the so-called fanouropita. Fanouropita is a kind of oil cake with which believers ask the Saint to "reveal" objects or people or generally to find something they are looking for.


Category of thematic interest:  ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST


History:

On the uphill of Pygmalionos Christidi Street, at its junction with Vyronos Street, there is the Chapel of Ag. Fanourios. This chapel is one of the most modern chapels in the Akathist Hymn district. The church of the Akathist Hymn is located right next to the chapel, on Vyronos Street.
In the same spot where the chapel stands today, a corner house with sachnisi, built according to traditional architecture, is depicted in old photographs, which allegedly housed the priest of the temple of the Akathist Hymn.


Elements of architecture:

The Chapel of Agios Fanourios is a small single-aisled building, without a prominent niche for the altar. The main door of the building has two small windows on either side, while the chapel is covered with a small dome, which is covered with tiles.


Description of other elements:

 The chapel celebrates every year on August 27, the day of Agios Fanourios, and the housewives prepare the so-called fanouropita.


Purpose - Use: Church building


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


Dating (period): Άγνωστο


Year of construction: Άγνωστο


Location of the monument: 41.14475722437683, 24.88599465561325


Bibliographic references:

•    "Churches, Monasteries and Chapels of the Old Town", Thomas Exarchou, Old Town Celebrations, 2000
•    "The Churches of Old Xanthi", Georgios Tsigaras, Municipal Development Enterprise of Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, 2008


 Address: Vyronos 14 & P. Christidi


Visitable: No

 

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