European and Byzantine art in 19th century Xanthi (60')

The route is about 2 km long, lasts about 60 minutes and is of moderate difficulty. This route will give the visitor with artistic interests and quests to get to know European and Byzantine art, as expressed in buildings of old Xanthi in the 19th century.

Starting from the church of Agios Vlasios and ending at the Stavropoulos House, you will visit the churches of old Xanthi with the wood carvings on the iconostasis, the portable icons, the miniature objects, representative samples of the post-Byzantine period. In the buildings of secular architecture you will admire the European style ceiling paintings and frescoes, of the so-called Belle Époque (1871-1914).

In the old churches it is worth observing the Byzantine portable icons that bear strong western iconographic influences, mixed with traditional Byzantine standards and follow theological concepts after the 1453 conquest. They are created either by workshops active in Thrace or northern Greece (e.g. the workshop of Ainos), or by the Mount Athos workshop (e.g. the painters Nikiforos and his student Ioasaf), or by individual painters (e.g. Nikolaos from Hasköy in Constantinople, Thassios M. Evangelidis, Patrinos Takis Prionas).

It is also worth noting the crucifix in the Church of Agios Georgios, a work of Fotis Kontoglou (1959), the embroidered icon of Archangel Michael in the Church of the Taxiarchs, the marble relief candlestand in the Church of Agios Vlasios.

On the other hand, in the rich neoclassical residences one can see works of Bavarian or German painters, such as the frescoes in the Houses of Kougioumtzoglou, Stavropoulos and Michaloglou or the goddesses from the twelve Gods, which adorn the staircase of the Metaxas House. Of interest are the ceiling paintings with decorative and floral motifs in the Daniel Mansion and the Moses Mansion, while a unique example of neoclassical sculpture in the city is the statue in the courtyard of the Church of St. George.

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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