Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite

Coordinates: 37°58′45″N 23°44′04″E / 37.97917°N 23.73444°E / 37.97917; 23.73444
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Church of St. Dionysius the Areopagite

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite is the main

bishop of Athens
.

History and construction

The interior of the church

The church is a three-aisle basilica in the

St Boniface's Abbey in Munich. During the project, the plans were modified by the Greek architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou
, who offered to direct the work of the church, until completion, without any remuneration. The land for the construction of the church was purchased in 1847 with money collected among the Roman Catholics of Greece, while the building was built by fundraisers among Catholics both inside and outside the country. The nave was built in 1853 and the inauguration took place on 4 August 1865.

The church is 38 metres long, 15 metres high and 24 metres wide. The church's interior is decorated with beautiful frescoes. Of the most beautiful is the fresco of semi-domes of triumphal arch, representing the Apotheosis of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (1890) and is the work of Italian painter from Rimini Guglielmo Bilancioni (1836-1907). The pillars, which support the triumphal arch, represent in life-size the

John Paul II in 2001. Finally, right and left of the sanctuary are two marble pulpits, donated by Franz Joseph I of Austria
when he visited Athens in 1869.

In 1962, the Catholic marriage of

Infante Juan Carlos of Spain
took place in the church, which preceded the Orthodox wedding rites.

The stained glass windows of the church

Stained glass depiction of Otto of Bamberg

The eight stained glass windows on both sides of the lower part of the church were painted by the director of the royal workshops of Munich Carl de Boucher (Karl de Bouchet) and donated by King Ludwig of Bavaria.

The four windows of the right aisle of the church adorn respectively stained glass of Saint Amalia, Pope Sixtus II, Pope Telesphorus, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, and the stained glass windows of the left aisle depicting the Saint Otto, the Pope Anterus, Pope Anacletus and the Saint John Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Sources

  • Eugene Dalezios: "The Athens Cathedral of St. Dionysius the Areopagite," Athens, 1965.
  • Official five-language pamphlet Cathedral St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Athens.

External links

Media related to Agios Dionysios Areopagitis Catholic Cathedral (Athens) at Wikimedia Commons

37°58′45″N 23°44′04″E / 37.97917°N 23.73444°E / 37.97917; 23.73444

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