The Byzantine church of Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki
The Panagia ton Chalkeon is one of the most prominent and well-preserved Middle Byzantine churches preserved in Thessaloniki. Dating back to the 11th century, its name, meaning “Virgin of the Bronze-Smiths,” refers to its proximity to the city’s traditional smithing district. Today, it is located in Dikastirion Square.
The Church of Panagia Chalkeon and its founders.
The early history of the church is lighted by two dedicatory inscriptions, one over the west door and the other in the sanctuary. The first one indicates that the church was erected by Christopher, the governor of the theme of Longobardia, along with his wife, son, and two daughters. Scholars are debating if the church was standing alone or if it was the katholicon (main church) of a monastery. Some have advanced the hypothesis that it could have been the monastery of the Panagia Kamariotissa or the Katafyge known from historical sources. They agree however on the fact that it was intended to be the burial site for Christopher and his family.
This once profane place is dedicated as an eminent church to the Mother of God by Christophoros, the most illustrious royal protospatharios and governor of Lagouvardia, and his wife Maria, and their children Nicephorus, Anna, and Catacale, in the month of September, indiction XII, in the year 6537.
According to the Byzantine conception of time, the year 6537 corresponds to 1028. At that time, the Byzantine Empire was ruled by the Macedonian dynasty and was experiencing a period of prosperity and grandeur. In September 1028, for the dedication of the church, Constantine VIII was still the reigning emperor. Two months later, he was succeeded by Romanos Argyros and Zoe Porphyrogeneta.
Historical sources mention that Christophoros Vurgaris became the katepano of Lagouvardia in 1028, during a challenging period for the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy. In July 1029, after a defeat in Calabria, he was replaced by Pothos Argyros. His subsequent fate remains uncertain; he may have died during the battle. Additionally, a seal dated between 1018 and 1028 identifies a Christophoros as the protospatharios and katepano of Thessaloniki and Bulgaria. This suggests that he may have had strong ties to Thessaloniki, possibly as his native city or the place where he advanced his career. This connection could explain why he chose to donate a church there and select it as his resting place.
Later history of the church.
Not much is known about the church during the later Byzantine times. In 1430, following the Ottoman conquest of Thessaloniki, the church was converted into a mosque called Kazancılar Camii, the “Mosque of the Cauldron-Merchants”. It served as a mosque until the end of Ottoman rule in 1912. The fire of 1917 led to the raising of the city’s ground level, leaving the church below the modern street level. Damage from the Chalkidiki earthquakes in 1932 prompted restoration work in 1934, led by Dimitrios Evangelidis and Aristotelis Zachos.
Exterior architecture and influences.
The church follows the cross-in-square plan with four columns. It has three domes—one central and two over the double-storied narthex—all relatively tall. The exterior is entirely brick, with rectangular pilasters on the lower level and rounded half-columns above. The west end of the roof has a scalloped design, while the other arms feature gabled roofs. Arched openings and blind arches with two to four setbacks create a sculptural effect on the exterior.
The architecture reflects influences from Constantinople, such as similarities with the Myrelaion church, and central Greece, especially in window treatments. Despite these connections, the overall style appears local.
Interior decoration of the Panagia Chalkeon Church.
The church was intended as a funerary monument for Christopher and his family. Another inscription inside states that Christopher built it ‘for the forgiveness of his sins.’ In the north wall, an arcosolium—an arched niche or recess in the wall, commonly found in medieval architecture, that served as a burial place for the deceased—likely housed his tomb.
The interior retains much of its original carved marble decoration, including the capitals of the four naos columns and the narthex doorframes.
The church received painted decoration on three occasions: at the time of its construction in the 11th century, and then in the 12th and 14th centuries. Much of the decoration has been lost, including the 12th-century frescoes, which disappeared in 1933. Some of the surviving wall paintings, dating from the 11th and 14th centuries, are also in poor condition.
However, the 11th-century murals are particularly significant. According to the founder’s inscription, most were created during the church’s construction. These paintings share stylistic and iconographic features with other churches of the same era, such as Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and Nea Moni Monastery on Chios. They exhibit two styles with Constantinopolitan origins and depict scenes from Christ’s life and the twelve major Orthodox feasts.
The best-preserved paintings include the Ascension in the dome and the Last Judgment in the narthex. The placement of the Crucifixion and Anastasis near the arcosolium emphasizes the program’s funerary character.
The 14th-century frescoes, visible on the west wall, include a depiction of the Akathistos Hymn.
Sources.
Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, vol. 1. Oxford University Press, 1991.
Melina Paissidou, The church Panagia ton Chalkeon in Thessaloniki. A different approach of a monastic institution and its founder, Siris, Studi e ricerche dellq scuola di specializzazione in beni archeologici di Matera, 2015.
