The Catholic Cathedral of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite is located at the intersection of Panepistimio Avenue and Omirou Street. It is the residence of the Catholic Archbishop of Athens and is dedicated to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first bishop of Athens.
The church is built in the style of a three-nave basilica in the Neo-Renaissance. The design of the building was developed by the famous German architect Leo von Klenze at the behest of King Otto. During the implementation of the project, the plans were changed by the Greek architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou, who offered to manage the work of the temple until its completion, without any remuneration.
The land for the construction of the church was purchased in 1847 with money from the Catholics of Greece, and the building was erected with funds collected among Catholics in Greece and abroad. Construction of the cathedral began in 1853, and the grand opening took place on August 4.1865.
The internal dimensions of the church are 38 meters long, 15 meters high and 24 meters wide. The interior of the church is decorated with magnificent frescoes. One of the most beautiful is the fresco of the semi-dome of the triumphal arch, which depicts the "Apotheosis of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite" (1890) and is the work of the Italian painter from Rome Guglielmo Bilancioni.
On the pillars supporting the triumphal arch, four life-size evangelists are depicted. On the facade of the triumphal arch, Christ Pantocrator is depicted with the Gospel in his hand. In the corners below, on the right, Moses is depicted holding the text of the Law on parchment, on the left, the prophet David plays the harp. Further below, Saint Gregory the Great and Saint Augustine.
The floor of the church is paved with Pentelic marble. The central nave is supported by 12 columns 5 meters high made of green Tinos marble. The platform above the main entrance to the church, where the organ is located, was built in 1888 according to the design of the architect Paul Chambé au. To the right and left of the sanctuary are two marble pulpits, donated by the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph during his visit to Athens in 1869.
The church is built in the style of a three-nave basilica in the Neo-Renaissance. The design of the building was developed by the famous German architect Leo von Klenze at the behest of King Otto. During the implementation of the project, the plans were changed by the Greek architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou, who offered to manage the work of the temple until its completion, without any remuneration.
The land for the construction of the church was purchased in 1847 with money from the Catholics of Greece, and the building was erected with funds collected among Catholics in Greece and abroad. Construction of the cathedral began in 1853, and the grand opening took place on August 4.1865.
The internal dimensions of the church are 38 meters long, 15 meters high and 24 meters wide. The interior of the church is decorated with magnificent frescoes. One of the most beautiful is the fresco of the semi-dome of the triumphal arch, which depicts the "Apotheosis of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite" (1890) and is the work of the Italian painter from Rome Guglielmo Bilancioni.
On the pillars supporting the triumphal arch, four life-size evangelists are depicted. On the facade of the triumphal arch, Christ Pantocrator is depicted with the Gospel in his hand. In the corners below, on the right, Moses is depicted holding the text of the Law on parchment, on the left, the prophet David plays the harp. Further below, Saint Gregory the Great and Saint Augustine.
The floor of the church is paved with Pentelic marble. The central nave is supported by 12 columns 5 meters high made of green Tinos marble. The platform above the main entrance to the church, where the organ is located, was built in 1888 according to the design of the architect Paul Chambé au. To the right and left of the sanctuary are two marble pulpits, donated by the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph during his visit to Athens in 1869.
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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