Annual Archive Lecture

Dr. Eleni-Anna Chlepa, Restoration Architect, will present the topic, "The perception and restoration of Byzantine monuments in modern Greece (1833-1939): new archival documentation" based on her new book, Τα βυζαντινά μνημεία στη νεότερη Ελλάδα- ιδεολογία και πρακτική των αποκαταστάσεων (1833-1939). The lecture will be presented in Greek.

Summary

Byzantine monuments and the process of their upgrading, along with the discovery of Greece’ s medieval past, at the end of the 19th century, attracts growing attention in modern historical research. The changing ideological importance of byzantine monuments and the development of scientific research gradually increase Greek state’s interest in byzantine heritage without, however, undermining the supremacy of the Greek antiquity.  

The lecture will focus on the way the Greek state dealt with issues related to the protection of byzantine architecture. Specifically, it will examine how byzantine monuments were perceived and treated by the Greek state and how those activities relate and compare to other European approaches of the time. On the basis of new, to date unknown, archival evidence, official texts, drawings and photographs, the lecture will attempt to contribute to our understanding of the ideological issues as well as practical aspects involved, thus improving our knowledge of the protection and restoration of byzantine monuments in the Greek state territory.