See that little church nestled here? That is the church of Saint John the Theologian. It is in the picturesque district of Plaka. This is a great tourist attraction. We are at the intersection of Erechtheos and Erotokritou streets. The church belongs to the larger local church of Agios Nikolaos Rangavas.
Saint John the Theologian celebrates on May 8th and September 26th. This church dates from the end of the 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century. A bronze coin of Alexios I Komnenos supports this dating. He reigned from 1081 to 1118. The coin was found on its roof.
We have limited information about the monument’s history. The historian K. Zisiou tells us something interesting. Near the church, Venetian general Morosini set two canons. These destroyed the Parthenon in 1687 during the siege of the Acropolis. Restorations in 1975-1976 ensured its good maintenance.
Architecturally, Saint John the Theologian is a two-columned, cross-in-square church. It features an eight-sided Athenian dome. On the east, there are three-sided apses. A narthex is on the west.
The church has been erected with cloisonné masonry. Stones are framed by bricks. Ceramic elements decorate it. Preserved parts of the wall paintings are of particular interest. They date from the 13th century. A local craftsman created them.
Inside Saint John the Theologian, the dome shows the Pantokrator. The arch of the altar depicts the Ascension of Christ. At the prosthesis, a saint on a horse is depicted. You can see the heads of Saints Constantine and Helen. A holy deacon is depicted at the narthex. The Byzantine wall paintings make the church worth visiting. Very few exist in the area of Athens.
Even though centuries have left their traces, Saint John the Theologian stands intact. It has stood almost unchanged since it was built. It adorns the northern side of the rock of the Acropolis.
Tradition connects the church with the siege of the Acropolis by the Venetians in 1657. Morosini bombarded the northern part of the Parthenon from the courtyard of the church. During these operations, a cannonball penetrated the roof of the ancient monument. At the time, the Ottomans used it for storing gunpowder. Approximately 500 barrels of gunpowder blew up. This inflicted incurable blows on the Parthenon.
The masonry is modeled on small Byzantine chapels. The brick-enclosed system has been applied. The alternation between white stones and red bricks gives a beautiful style. The large stones on the north side were not placed cross-in-square. This distinguishes Saint John the Theologian from other small Byzantine churches in Athens.
Originally, the entrance was through two gateways. The main entrance was on the west side. The other was on the north. The north side entrance was replaced by a window. The openings of both entrances are adorned by small arches topped by pediments.
The iron arched bell tower was originally placed above the pediment of the main entrance.
The frescoes came to light after the conservation interventions of 1975. They are among the few of the 13th century that have been preserved. Local workshops in Athens created these frescoes. Later internal coatings covered them.
The figure of Jesus Christ Almighty dominates the dome. In the apse of the Holy Step, you can see the Virgin Mary enthroned. She holds the Divine Infant under the presence of an angel. The Ascension adorns the apse of the Holy Step.
At the northern side, in the chancel, one observes the Ascension. The chancel is decorated by the mounted depiction of Saint George. The Saint is depicted in three-quarter length. A tunic with sleeves covers the body of the Saint up to the knee. One can see a metal breastplate and black mid-shin shoes. The haloed head of the Saint has dark and unusual straight hair and intense eyes.
The frescoes of the south wall of the chancel include two whole-body military martyr Saints. To the left, the Saint is young and beardless with straight hair. It is possibly a depiction of Saint Dimitrios. To the right, an older Saint is preserved. In both cases, the Saints wear tunics with wide sleeves. Under the military martyrs, one discerns the heads of Saints Constantine and Helen. Saint Basil can be depicted in the narthex on the south wall.
Actress Melina Merkouri posed in front of Saint John the Theologian in a 1960 photograph.