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Church of the Virgin Mary Peribleptos

Ohrid

The Church of the Virgin Mary Peribleptos was built in 1295 by order of the Byzantine military commander Progon Zgur, son-in-law of the emperor Andronikos II Paleologus (1282 – 1328), as evidenced by the inscription above the western entrance to the church. Progon Zgur's high social position enabled him to hire the painters Mihaijl Astarapa and Eutychius, who painted one of the highest achievements of Byzantine art from the Paeological period.

At the base, the church has the shape of an inscribed cross in a rectangular space with a central octagonal dome resting on four pillars, the narthex on the western side is covered with a blind dome and two cross vaults, and the altar apse is decorated with baked bricks. The church was surrounded by an open porch, which suffered from a fire shortly after the construction of the church. The church is built in traditional Byzantine style, with strong influences from Epirus architecture. It is built of limestone, crushed stone and baked bricks, the combination of which achieves beautiful decorations on the facade.

In 1364/65, two chapels were added to the eastern end of the southern and northern walls, financed by the Bishop of Devolli, Gregory. The northern chapel is dedicated to St. Gregory the Theologian, and the southern chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Later, a closed porch was built, surrounding the church on the southern, western and secer sides.

The fresco painting in the nave and narthex is the first documented work of the Salonica painters Michael and Eutychius, who later became court painters of King Milutin. Their painting is considered one of the most significant achievements of the so-called Palaiologos Renaissance, combining elements of the graphic style of the Komnenian (11th century) and post-Komenian art (12th century – second half of the 13th century) with the new monumental style of the Palaiologos (after 1261).

In the first zone, standing figures are painted, on the north wall are portraits of St. Clement of Ohrid and Constantine Cabasilas, the 13th-century Archbishop of Ohrid, and the iconographers left their names inscribed on some of the frescoes, namely Michael - on the robe of the warrior St. Demetrius, Eutychius - on the robe of the warrior St. Procopius.

In the second zone, the Virgin Mary cycle is painted, and in the third, scenes depicting the life and suffering of Christ are presented, in the uppermost zone, that is, in the vaults, the Great Feasts are painted. In the central dome, Jesus Christ is depicted as the terrible judge. On two of the four pillars that support the dome, the eight standing figures represent the holy warriors.

In the altar area, the Virgin Mary is depicted standing with outstretched arms, the Communion of the Apostles (Eucharist), portraits of saints, and the Adoration of the Victim (Service of the Bishops).

In the narthex of the church, frescoes from the late 13th century depict scenes related to the Virgin Mary, and the most characteristic composition is the "Christmas Hymn", which is located above the entrance door.

In the 14th century, more precisely in 1364/65, under the patronage of Bishop Grigorij of Devol, who financed the construction and fresco painting of the side chapels and the porch of the church, the students of the famous Ohrid icon painter from the first half of the 14th century, Jovan Theorian, painted the side chapels and the open porch, following the best experiences of the Ohrid painting school from the 14th century.

In the second half of the 19th century, a wooden iconostasis with icons made by Dicho Zograf from Tresonche was placed in the church, but more recently it was replaced with a marble iconostasis, which is a reconstruction of the older one. Two throne icons and royal doors are placed on it, and above them, on a horizontal board, fifteen representations of saints are painted. Above them is a wooden Crucifix.

After the conquests of the Ottomans and the fall of Macedonia under their rule and the conversion of the church of St. Panteleimon into a mosque, the church of the Virgin Mary Peribleptos became the seat of the Ohrid Archbishopric and a place where the relics of the Ohrid saint Clement were kept. In the period after World War II, the church was placed under state administration, and the relics were transferred to the church of St. Nikola Gerakomija. In 1991, when the church was returned to the possession of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the relics were again transferred with a solemn procession to the church the Virgin Mary Peribleptos, where they remained until the restoration of the St. Clement Monastery on Plaoshnik in 2002, when they were returned to their original location.

Church of the Virgin Mary Peribleptos

Ohrid