The most complete
information guide about Athens, Greece
Churches
in Athens
Agii Theodori (Saints
Theodori)
On
the south-western side of Klafthmonos square, at the junction
of Dragatsaniou and Agion Theodoron streets, one can see the church
of Saint Theodori. On the church’s western side there are
two marble plates with inscriptions mounted on a wall. The first
one officially announces that the church was renovated by an administrative
official of the Byzantine Empire called Nikolaos Kalomolos.
On
the second plate there is an inscription with a date that probably
correspondents with the year 1065. Although experts seem to be
divided regarding the identification of the date with the year
in which the church was renovated, one can assume that the church
dates back to the mid-11th century based on its architectural
and morphological characteristics.
The
church is a variation of the distyle cross-in-square type. Its
exterior is particularly interesting. The few small openings on
the walls are conservative if one considers the period when the
church was built, while the bell tower obviously is a more recent
addition. The dome is eight-sided with double-light windows. The
cloisonné style of the masonry is a testimony to the technicians’
skills and care while the large stones that support the masonry
on the lower parts of the walls are mounted decoratively so that
they form crosses.
The
church has interesting ceramic decorations: pseudo-kufic patterns,
a frieze with small ceramic plates with kufic-like reliefs and
other decorative elements, dentils and brick arches around the
windows. The church of Saint Theodori is almost contemporary to
the nearby Kapnikarea church but of heavier proportions, more
severe structure and more conservative choices. In a stylistic
overview one could say that the church stands out rather through
its strength than through the grace and the rhythm of its characteristic
small roofs. The church was damaged during the Greek War of Independence and was repaired in 1840.