One of the best expressions of the title of the Congress theme ‘Byzantium Beyond Byzantium’ is the case of Mystras, capital of the Despotate of the Morea, with its strong resonances of the political ideology, the art and the spiritual-intellectual life of Constantinople. Particularly after the vicissitudes of Thessaloniki, Mystras emerged as a stable political and administrative center of the Empire in Greece and was to play a seminal role in fulfilling the political aims of the Capital. It is also particular interesting that, in some cases, Mystras, due to its geographical position, exercised a different policy in relation to the ambitions of Constantinople. In parallel, Mystras, as the capital beyond the Capital, was to cultivate Art and Letters, and organize its everyday life in a highly sophisticated environment that was developed through both its direct relationship with Constantinople and western influences. The Thematic Session will present significant aspects of the capital of the Despotate, such as the relationship between Constantinople and Mystras through the connection between Emperor Manuel II and his brother the Despot Theodore, in the context of anti-Ottoman political alliances. Furthermore, papers referring to painting, architecture (urban, monastic) and sculptural decoration will play an important role in the Session, generating discussion on the artistic connections between Mystras, Constantinople and the West, and shedding light on facets of daily life in this Byzantine city.
The iconographic program in the gallery (hyperoon) of the Panagia Hodegetria church at Mystras is one of the most important in the art of the Palaiologan period, not merely because it is one of the very few surviving gallery programs from the early fourteenth century. Rather, its significance lies in the choice of rare iconographic…
This paper examines how the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos (r. 1391–1425) transformed the death of his brother Theodore, Despot of Morea, into an opportunity to reimagine imperial authority through the public performance of fraternal emotion. Drawing on the Funeral Oration delivered at Mystras in 1408, I argue that Manuel used an innovative rhetorical strategy…
Mystras is the only Byzantine city whose monumental wealth is preserved in such a state that allows for the study of the architecture of all types of buildings found within an urban ensemble (fortifications, administrative buildings, churches, monasteries, and houses). Within the context of the above study, it is possible to make observations regarding the…
The Vrontochion Monastery, the wealthiest and most powerful monastic establishment at Mistra, comprises two churches. Hagioi Theodoroi is the oldest one and the first katholikon, founded under the patronage of Daniel, unknown from other historical sources, and Pachomios, who is referred to as the monastery’s abbot in 1296. With the aid of imperial grants, in…