Церква Богородиці Хрисоспиліотісси Church of the Virgin Mary Chrysospiliotissa

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The Church of Panagia Chrysospiliotissa is a three-nave domed basilica with a transept, narthex and an upper room. It was built on the site of an older church, a small basilica. The church was designed by D. Zezos, but its construction began in 1863, six years after his death, under the direction of P. Kalkos. After Kalkos's death, the continuation of the construction was entrusted to Ernest Ziller, but the church commissioners and parishioners did not accept Ziller's proposed changes to the church design and entrusted the project to the mayor of Athens and the civil engineer Dimitris Soutsos. He demolished and reconstructed the dome. In 1888 and 1892, the construction of the southern and northern bell towers was completed, respectively. In 1879, the decoration of the church was started by V. Kotas and A. Petas. He completed the hagiography of St. Hatzigiannopoulos in 1892.