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Prilep, the Church of Saint Demetrius
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Place
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The church St. Demetrius is located in the western part of Varoš, in the area that used to be the economic centre of the lower town of medieval Prilep. The village of Varoš, a suburb of Prilep, in the Middle Ages was in the vicinity of the fortress that Skilica calls Πρίλαπος τὸ φρούριον. In medieval sources, the church is mentioned only in the charter of Emperor Stefan Dušan from 1335 to the Treskavac monastery, in which he bequeathed the church as a gift to this monastery. One of the founders is also mentioned in the charter. The founder of the major additions from the 13th century was the Byzantine nobleman, Dimitrios Misinopolit.
Architecture:
Church of Saint Demetrius has a complex architectural composition and is preserved in its entirety with modifications over the centuries. The church represents a group of three churches separated from each other by massive walls built in the period from the 12th to the 14th century. The core of the church is the nave, which is placed in the direction of the east-west axis. Above the eastern part of the nave rises a dome placed on a drum, which is cylindrical inside and divided into twelve sides on the outside. The dome has nine narrow windows. On both sides (north and south) parallel to the main axis of the church, are placed two side annexes. The connection of the nave with the side annexes is achieved by means of two semicircular arched openings. All three spaces in the east end with an aps, while in the west they are connected with common narthex. The apse on the south side is three-sided, while the other two are semicircular on the outside. The external dimensions of the church are: to the east and west - 11.43 m, to the north - 13.65 m. and in the south - 13.95 m. The total height (from the floor in the nave to the summit of the dome) is 10.64 m. The constructive system of the church of St. Dimitrija contains all the essential features of the constructive systems of churches of the inscribed cross type with a dome.
The facades with a variety of ceramoplastic decoration have a particular architectural value.The northern facade is the most representative. It was built in a typical Byzantine style of masonry, alternating between stone blocks and bricks. The checkerboard system, which is carried over to the northern apse, and the three bricked-up arched openings of the former porch with frames decorated with radially placed bricks, have been recorded. The northern facade is decorated with two toothed cornices, the higher of which extends to the eastern and western facades. The niches to the left and right of the window have bricks arranged in zig-zag lines.
The southern facade has a lower part that is built of irregularly arranged stone blocks with the occasional use of brick. The higher parts are processed more meticulously with a combination of stone and brick. The apse of the central church and its upper parts, which represent the oldest part of the building, are the most roughly executed. The narthex suffered the most, where the southern side, which adjoins the southern wall of the church, has been preserved. The northern side has been preserved up to a height of half a meter.
The northern annex of the church has the shape of an irregular quadrangle that ends in the east with a semicircular apse. The connection of the northern annex with the nave and the altar area is via two arched openings. It is also connected to the vestibule through an arched opening. The northern annex is entered from the outside through an opening on the northern facade of the church.
The southern annex, like the northern one, consists of three sections in the east-west direction. It has the shape of an irregular quadrilateral. As with the northern annex, the upper structure is characterized by a transverse arch above the central nave, which is supported laterally by two arches above the eastern and western naves placed in the east-west direction. The connection with the nave is achieved through an arched opening. The floor in the southern annex is lower than the floor of the nave.
The church undergone significant architectural changes, and it is an outstanding indicator of the general flows in the development of the church architecture on the wider territory of Macedonia in the late Byzantine period.
Dating:
First phase:
Sašo Korunovski distinguishes four stages of church construction. In his opinion, the first single-nave church was built in the middle of the 12th century.
Second phase:
After Prilep came under the rule of John III Doukas Vatatzes (1221-1254) in 1246, an open porch was added from the north, which shows similarities with the architecture of the Nicaean Empire probably between 1260-1270
Third phase:
In the third quarter of the 13th century, an open narthex was installed and the two resulting naves were covered with a transverse vault.
Fourth phase:
Finally, in the last decade of the 13th century, the church was rebuilt into an inscribed cross with a dome, the south nave and common narthex were added. The founder of all the undertakings of the fourth phase was Dimitrios Misinopolit, depicted on the founder’s composition. In the portrait he is not holding a model of the church in his hands. The text of the inscription above his head points out that he is the founder of the whole church and not just the added parts.
Parallels:
Epirus was certainly the most suitable area from where the type of churches with an overhanging cross vault could be transferred to Macedonia. This type will appear only in the third phase of construction at the church of Saint Demetrius. Some other specific Epirus motifs are also found in the church of St. Demetrius. On the south facade, above the windows, is a zig-zag frieze with triangular stones inserted into the gaps between the bricks. The dome of the Church of St. Demetrius also reveals motifs characteristic of the architecture of Epirus from the end of the 13th century. This type of dome was widely used in the 14th century and is linked to the influence of Thessaloniki architecture. However, as pointed out by the researchers, the earliest examples of such a drum design with windows reaching only to the middle with arched ends are known among the buildings such as the church of Panagia Parigoritisa in Arta, before 1294–1296, Archangel Michael in Berat, etc.
Epigraphic data:
Type and place of the first inscription:
The first inscription is located in the southern nave, on the western part of the northern wall, it is displayed in three rows, in white on a blue background, above the portrait of Dimitrios Misinopolit. who addresses the patron saint of the church in prayer.
Text of the first inscription:
δέ(ησις) τοῦ δού[λου] τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ Δημητρίουa τοῦ Μησηνοπολήτου καὶ κτήτορ(ος)c τοῦ ναοῦ
Translation of the first inscription:
Petition of the servant of God Dimitrios of Misinopolit and the founder of the church.
Type and place of the second inscription:
The second inscription is on the western side of the altar column, it is written above the representation of the prophet Elijah, in one line, in red on a brown background.
Text of the second inscription:
[δέησις]a τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ b [Ἀνδρο]νίκου καὶ Ἠρή[νη]ς a [Μνήσθητι Κύρι]ε
Translation of the second inscription:
Plea of the servant of God Andronikos and Irina.
Painting:
The church has preserved parts of paintings in the dome and area below the dome, on the walls of the nave and in the apse of the central church, as well as on the sides of the north and south arches that connects northern and southern annexes. In the annexes, as well as in the narthex, there are some badly damaged fragments. In the semi-calotte of the central apse is a representation of the Virgin Mary with Christ.
The founding composition is painted on the north-western wall of the southern annex. Paintings in the dome and below the dome belong to the younger painting of the 14th century. At the top of the dome is Christ Pantokrator. The circle around it has seven medallions with representations of angels painted in bust supporting the sphere. Between the windows in the drum are representations of prophets. Three compositions have been preserved from the Great Feasts cycle: the Ascension, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation.
Painting dates:
Vojislav Đurić dates the oldest painting, the scene with hetoimasia, in the apse to 1290, interpreting the style as a relapse of the Komnenian style of painting, connecting it to the layer of paintings from the 13th century. The same author attributes the youngest layer of paintings to the group of painters around Metropolitan Jovan, dating them to the period from the ninth decade of the 14th century to the third decade of the 15th century. He believes that Jovan followed the scheme of old painting during the renovation in the 14th century.
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