Church of the Virgin Mary Peribleptos
OVERVIEW
UNESCO World Heritage site church with secret messages hidden in frescos.
Pre-Renaissance Art Revolution
The frescoes inside the church, painted in 1295, are revolutionary. At a time when Western Europe was still deep in the flat, emotionless Gothic style, the painters of this church were experimenting with perspective, three-dimensional depth, and intense human emotion.
- This style, known as the Palaeologan Renaissance, predates the famous Italian Renaissance painters by several years.
Secret Signatures
In the Middle Ages, artists were expected to remain anonymous, attributing all glory to God. However, the two masters who painted this church, Michael Astrapas and Eutychios, were so proud of their work that they hid their signatures throughout the frescoes.
- You can find their names written on the blade of Saint Demetrius’s sword, on the collar of Saint Prokopios, and on the plaster of several other saints' cloaks. They are among the earliest named painters in Byzantine history.
Identity Theft
Though officially dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Peribleptos means "the respected" or "the revealed" Mother of God), locals almost universally call it St. Clement’s Church.
- When the Ottoman Empire conquered Ohrid in the 15th century, they destroyed the nearby monastery of Plaošnik (built by St. Clement, the patron saint of the city) and turned it into a mosque.
- To save St. Clement’s sacred relics, the Christians moved them to the Peribleptos church. For centuries, it became the cathedral church of Ohrid and the keeper of St. Clement’s legacy.
Lamentation of Christ
One of the most famous frescoes in the church is the Lamentation of Christ. Unlike typical, rigid Byzantine art, this fresco depicts raw, agonizing human grief.
- The Virgin Mary is shown throwing her body over Jesus in despair, while the angels in the sky are literally crying, covering their faces in sorrow. The dramatic use of color and body language was centuries ahead of its time.
Funded by a Byzantine In-Law
The church was commissioned by Progonos Sgouros, a high-ranking Albanian nobleman. He was married to Eudokia, who was the relative of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaeologus. This connection explains why the church received funding for the absolute best architects and painters of the era.
Acoustic Jars
If you look closely at the upper structure of the church, you might wonder how the acoustics are so perfect. The Byzantine builders incorporated hollow clay jars (amphorae) directly into the mortar of the vaults and domes. This medieval engineering trick absorbed echoes and amplified the chanting of the priests.
Soot of the Ottoman Era
During the Ottoman period, the frescoes of many churches in the region were whitewashed or damaged. Fortunately, the Peribleptos church was not converted into a mosque. However, centuries of burning beeswax candles and oil lamps covered the frescoes in a thick layer of black soot.
- In the mid-20th century, conservationists painstakingly cleaned the walls, revealing the incredibly vibrant reds, blues, and golds that had been preserved perfectly underneath the soot for 700 years.
HEADS-UP
- Photography is not allowed inside the church
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