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Kavadarci, Dabnište, Church of the Holy Mother of God
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Description: The Church of the Holy Mother of God is situated in the village of Dabnište,16 km south of Kavadarci, Republic of N. Macedonia. The church most likely stands on an older cult site, as indicated by the results of the excavations along the eastern wall of the church. These excavations revealed remnants of an older apse from a previous church. The present-day appearance of the church in Dabnište is the result of a significant reconstruction undertaken during the 19th century. The remains of the older structure of the Church of the Holy Mother of God are insufficient to carry out a complete reconstruction of its original appearance. Based on the preserved sections of the older construction, this church is categorized within the group of single-naved churches that were prevalent during the 13th century on the territory of Byzantine Macedonia. The frescoes have been preserved within the altar apse.
Architecture
First phase of construction: During archaeological investigations in 1964, remains of an apse from an earlier church were discovered. The 13th-century church was constructed upon the foundations (or remnants) of a pre-existing church building.
Dating: before the 13th century
Second phase of construction: The parts of the church in Dabnište that can be attributed to the 13th-century construction are modest. The reconstruction of the original appearance is based on the southeastern section of the church, where the most significant portions of the older structure have been preserved. The wall is primarily constructed using a mixed technique of masonry - both stone and brick. The apse is internally semicircular, while originally pentagonal on the outside, and after the 19th-century renovation, it became polygonal. On the apse, as well as on the southern wall, several bands of simplified meanders, executed with vertically arranged bricks, partially or entirely appear. Most likely, the church had an elevated transverse barrel vault over the middle of the naos. The architectural type featuring an elevated transverse barrel vault was most likely transmitted to Macedonia from Epirus.
Parallels: Church of Saint Demetrios in Prilep (third phase of construction); Saint John Kaneo in Ohrid; Church of Saint Eliah in the village of Grnčari
Dating: the last quarter of the 13th century
Painted Decoration
Second Layer: The frescoes have been preserved within the altar apse.
Parallels: Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Manastir in Mariovo; Saint John Kaneo in Ohrid; Church of St. Constantine in Svećani near Veles; Church of Saint Eliah in the village of Grnčari
Dating: the last quarter of the 13th century
Reconstruction/Renovation: a substantial reconstruction of the church was carried out during the 19th century
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Prilep, Church of Saint Nicholas
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Description
The Church of St. Nicholas is located in the medieval lower town of Prilep (today Varoš). It is situated a few hundred meters away from the medieval marketplace, at the foot of the medieval fortress known as the "Markovi kuli." It is a small single-aisled building with an externally three-sided apse. The lower part of the building is constructed with roughly cut stone, including spolia, while the upper part is built of stone and brick. The significant differences in construction and treatment between the lower and upper parts of the facades are the result of two construction phases. The frescoes inside the Church of St. Nicholas consist of two stylistically different parts, found in the altar apse and the nave. The dedicatory inscription above the southern doors of the church reveals that the frescoes in the nave were commissioned by Vego Kapza and his wife Maria in 1298.
Architecture
The first phase of construction:
The high stone base belongs to the first construction phase of the Church of St. Nicholas (2.6m), made of rough-hewn stone of various dimensions and several rectangular marble blocks used as spolia. These are the remains of a small single-aisled church, built with rough stone.
Parallels: In the older layer of the building, there are no stylistic or any other elements that could clearly indicate the construction period. The simplicity of their plan and the construction material suggest that they were built by local craftsmen. Similarities have been observed with objects of domestic architecture from the second half of the 12th century, whose remains have been found in the area of the present-day settlement of Varoš.
Dating: end of the 12th century
The second phase of construction:
The upper part of the church, set on a high stone base, corresponds to the second construction phase. The predominant characteristic of the interior space is the dominance of height over the length of the church. The facade surfaces are entirely covered with ceramic plastic decoration. The quality of the exterior is emphasized by continuous horizontal bands made of various brick motifs, representing a distinctive feature of late Byzantine, and particularly Epirote architecture.
Parallels: St. John Kaneo in Ohrid; the Church of the Theotokos Peribleptos in Ohrid; the Church of Christ the Savior in Borje, near Korcha (Koresha), Albania; Panagia (the Panagia Kyriotissa and Ag. Theodoroi) in Preventza, Greece; Ag. Vassileios stin Gefyra in Arta, the Narthex of the Church of Ag. Theodora in Arta.
Dating: ca. 1285-1295
Painted Decoration
The first fresco unit: consists of frescoes in the altar apse and the lunette of the western facade. A conservative artistic approach was applied, based on expressive means inherited from the Comnenian art, but adapted in a provincial spirit of the second half of the 13th century.
Parallels: St. John Kaneo in Ohrid; the Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Manastir in Mariovo; the Church of St. Demetrios in Prilep; the Church of St. George Omorphoklisias near Kastoria
Dating: third quarter of the 13th century, or 1298
The second fresco unit: consists of frescoes in the naos. The work of the two painters has been assessed as a fusion of old and new concepts during the stylistically transitional period of the late 13th century.
Parallels: Virgin Mavriotissa in Kastoria; Vlacherna monastery in Arta; The Church of Archangel Michael in Kostaniani near Ioannina; the Church of Taxiarches in Kostaniani near Ioannina; Ag. Demetrios Katsouris in Plissioi near Arta.
Dating: 1298
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Veles, Svećani, Saint Constantine, Remains of the Church
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Description: Today, only modest remains of the church are preserved. Through archaeological research, the chronological phases of construction and painting of the church have been reconstructed. A small single-nave church with small-scale lateral apses was built from the late 9th to the mid-10th century. It underwent renovations and expansions on two occasions—during the second half of the 13th century and in a later period, possibly during the 14th century. Remnants of fresco decoration are located in the altar apse. Two layers of frescoes have been preserved: an older one corresponding to the time of the church's construction (late 9th - first half of the 10th century) and another from the time of the first church renovation in the second half of the 13th century.
Architecture
First phase of construction:
In the first phase, a small single-nave church was built. A distinctive architectural feature is evident in the placement of a small apsidal room on the southern side. It is likely that a lateral apse originally existed on the northern side as well, but it has not been preserved due to the later reconstruction of the church, which destroyed the foundation of the northern wall of the old church. The church terminated in the eastern low semicircular apse. On the lateral sides of the apse, in the eastern wall, there are two small niches for the prothesis and diakonikon. Although it is a single-nave church without a dome, it conforms to the design of triconch churches in terms of its shape and disposition of its lateral conches.
Parallels: Church in the village of Izdeglavje
Dating: late 9th - first half of the 10th century
Second phase of construction: In the second phase, the original small church underwent renovation and expansion; the nave was extended towards the west; the entrance on the southern wall was walled up, and a new entrance was constructed on the western side of the building. The same phase also includes the renewal of the eastern part of the church; the height of the eastern apse was increased, and the additional section was executed with interior stonework and adorned externally with ceramic decoration.
Dating: the second half of the 13th century
Third phase of construction: In the third phase, a nave was added along the southern wall of the church; this southern annex had a three-sided apse and two entrances. For the purposes of worship, the southern apse of the original church was opened, thus establishing communication between the two spatial units.
Dating: The documentary evidence for the dating of the third phase of construction is lacking. Perhaps the second renovation took place in the 14th century.
Painted Decoration
First Layer: The oldest fresco ensemble has left few remains. The frescoes in the eastern apse were arranged in two registers - in the lower register, standing figures of saints surround the single narrow window, while the content of the upper register is difficult to identify. Only the depiction of a throne is visible in the apse composition, which was a part of representations of Christ on the throne, the Virgin Mary on the throne with Christ, and Hetoimasia at that time.
Dating: 10th century
Second Layer: The frescoes are fragmentarily preserved in the sanctuary. In the conch of the apse, remnants of an archangel figure are visible (likely part of the composition of the Virgin Mary with archangels). In the central register of the apse, there is a depiction of the Communion of the Apostles, and in the lower register of the apse, four bishops surround the single narrow window (The Officiating Bishops). The depictions of celebrating bishops continued onto the southern wall of the sanctuary.
Parallels: Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Manastir in Moriovo, St. John Kaneo in Ohrid, Church of St. Eliah in the village of Grnčari, Church of the Holy Mother of God in Dabnište near Kavadarci
Dating: the last quarter of the 13th century
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