Of the Bridge at Arta

Forty-five masons and apprentices sixty
were building a bridge across Arta’s river
All day long they founded it, at night it would fall.
.
.
.

The bridge of Arta is one of the most important Greek bridges, known for its architectural perfection and the master builder’s legend not only in Greece and the Balkans but also in other countries.
History: The Bridge’s history begins before Roman times, probably from the time of Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus (3rd century BC). The construction of its piers with large stones in the isodomic system (composed of stones of uniform size) reinforces this view. The oldest written reference is believed to come from Pliny (1st century AD). The yearly brief excavations that take place in the riverbed when its flow is interrupted are expected to reveal evidence, both for the location of the riverbed in antiquity and for the bridge itself.
Over the centuries, the bridge of Arta has undergone various repairs and additions. The last one took place in 1612, and its current form dates back between 1602 and 1606. According to Serafeim Xenopoulos, Μetropolitan of Arta in the 19th century, also known as Byzantinos, Ioannis Thiakogiannis or Gyftofagos, a grocer from Arta, undertook the bridge’s construction. The sponsor seems to have had a personal interest in the project since he was a merchant, and the easy passage of the Arachthos River would facilitate his activities.
Description: The bridge of Arta has today a total length of 142 m. and a width of 3.75 meters. The four arches are large, semicircular, and asymmetrical. The largest arch has an opening of 24 m and a height of 11.70m. The rest have width: 15.80, 15.40, and 16.20 m. and arch height, 9.00, 9.60, and 9.30 m, respectively.
Literature and legends: The legend of the master builder, who sacrificed his wife to set the bridge’s foundations, became the subject of many folklore studies and inspired many plays, operas, paintings, and engravings.
“”Ali’s plane tree”” lies at the bridge’s eastern end, and it is said that the fighters of 1821 were hanged there by Ali – Pasha of Ioannina, who sat in the tree’s shadow and enjoyed the macabre spectacle.
A traditional folk song refers to this story: “”-What ails you, poor plane-tree? Your roots drink their fill, yet your leaves hang lifeless.
-Ali Pasha has passed this way, and I can not drink.

The church of Parigoritissa, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin, is undoubtedly one of the most important monuments of Arta and holds a prominent place in the history of Byzantine art. It used to be the katholikon (central church building) of a large monastery, whose dining room and 16 cells are also preserved. Its current form is due to the work done on the monument by Nikiforos Komninos Doukas and his wife Anna Palaiologina at the end of the 13th century.
The original architectural type of the church combines the octagonal one on the ground floor to the cruciform inscribed on the first floor. The main church, square in plan and tower-shaped, ends in three three-sided arches to the east. To the west, there is a rectangular narthex. At the same time, to the north and south, the church is enclosed in a Π-shape by two symmetrical chapels, dedicated to Taxiarches and Agios Ioannis Prodromos, respectively. A characteristic of the temple is the original dome support system, one that has not been utilized for other monuments. The eight pillars of the ground floor support two consecutive rows of columns, which with the use of cantilevers placed according to the corbelling technique, support the central dome with the help of four arches. A gynaeconitis (women’s quarters) is above the narthex and the chapels, ending in two niches to the east. Its three sides surround the main church, and its three large double windows allow visual contact with the church’s interior. Evidence reinforces the view that the women’s quarters remained unfinished. Apart from the central dome, four domes at the corners house the church, together with cruciform vaults and small vaults, which interchange in the temple.
Newer research has revealed that the temple was initially (first phase) smaller and built in the type of a complex cruciform inscribed temple. Its construction is associated with the building activity of Michael II Komnenos Doukas and dates back to the middle of the 13th century. This church preserved sufficient height, and due to Nikiforos A, it was incorporated with various modifications into the structure of the current building.
The variety and originality of the monument’s sculptural decoration are remarkable. The grooveless marble columns inside the temple originate from older buildings of the ancient city or Nikopolis, and most have interesting variations of Roman and Early Christian Corinthian-type capitals. The arcs of the arches that support the dome are also decorated. Specifically, the western and northern arches are adorned with interesting relief compositions of the Nativity and the Lamb of the Lord (a symbolic representation of the Crucifixion of Christ), respectively. Columns with pointed arcs that remind us of Gothic parallels are also present at the top. They are based on relief complexes depicting real or imaginary animals and human figures with monstrous appearances. The relief decoration of the upper part of Parigoritissa is undoubtedly influenced by western art. It must have been the work of western craftsmen invited to work in Arta by the Komnenodoukai, founders of the temple.
The main church walls had initially been covered with marble slabs at least up to the height of the gynaeconitis (women’s quarters). A few colorful slabs are still preserved, mainly on the west side. The lintel above the west entrance is decorated with a large marble arch, and the dedicatory inscription that follows is among its embossed decoration.

Κομνηνοδούκας δεσπότης Νι[κηφ]όρος (Komnenodoukas despot Nikeforos)

Αννα βασίλ[ισσ]α κομνη[οδούκαινα] (Queen Anna Komnenodoukaina)

Κομνηνόβλαστος δ[εσπότης Θ]ωμάς μέγας (Komneno’s offspring despot Thomas the Great)

Κομνην[οί Ελ]λάδος α[υτάνακτες] ή Κομνην[ών κ]λάδος α[γγελωνύμων]. (Komnenoi kings of Greece or Komnenoi of the house of Aggelos)

Based on the listed names, An. Orlandos dated the church’s construction between the years 1283 and 1296.
The mosaics that decorated the dome and the roof’s east and south arches have suffered significant damage. They stand out for their excellent technique and bold color combinations. The hemispherical vault of the dome depicts the monumental figure of Christ in the type of Pantocrator framed by twelve Prophets, who alternate with Seraphim, Cherubs, and wheels. The forms of the four Evangelists decorated the four spandrels of the dome, but only a few remnants are still preserved.
The dome’s mosaics show significant differences in terms of technique as the face of the Pantocrator seems to be influenced by portable images. In contrast, the Prophets are characterized as monumental art and influenced by classical standards. The figures with the effortless movements and the liveliness they radiate are classified as masterpieces of Palaeologian art. The mosaics date to the end of the 13th century and are contemporary with the temple’s construction. In the north chapel, the oldest frescoes in the church date back to the beginning of the 15th century and depict a rare funerary representation. In the sanctuary, the frescoes of the niche date back to 1558, while the frescoes of the main church and the narthex walls were created in different periods, from the end of the 17th to the end of the 18th century.
Among the outbuildings of the Byzantine monastery of Parigoritissa, a large wing of 16 cells and the dining room that currently functions as a sculpture room are still preserved. Remains of buildings found on the south side of the monastery’s precinct are important indications that the monastery also had another wing of cells on this side.

Varvara N. Papadopoulou Dr. Archaeologist

Virgin Mary of Vlacherna church, whose name is associated with the well-known Virgin Mary of Vlacherna temple in Istanbul, is located in the homonymous village, about 1 km northeast of Arta, on the other bank of river Arachthos. It is classified as one of the important monuments located around Byzantine Arta, such as Kato Panagia, Panagia of Koronisia, Pantanassa near Filippiada, the church of Panagia Brionis in Neochoraki, etc.
It is a three-aisled vaulted basilica with rich sculptural and painted decoration. Vlacherna was the katholikon (central church building) of the famous monastery and burial temple of many members of the Komnenodoukades, rulers of the Despotate of Epirus. The inscriptions preserved on two graves on the south and north wall of the main church reveal that the first belonged to the despot Michael II Komnenos Doukas, the illegitimate son of Michael I Angelos, founder of the Despotate. The second belonged to the sons of Theodora Komninodoukaina (Saint Theodora), who had a violent death.
The initially men’s monastery became a women’s monastery, as attested by a synodal letter of the Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Ioannis Apokafkos (1224-1230), the first written reference to Vlacherna.
Architecture – dating: The katholikon was built on the site of an older church dating to the late 9th to early 10th century. The initial church was probably a three-aisled basilica with a three-part sanctuary and a wooden roof, parts of which are the south wall (the difference can be seen in the masonry) and the south arch. Virgin Mary Vlacherna church, a three-aisled basilica with an arched aisle, was probably founded at the beginning of the 13th century (between 1224 and 1230). In the middle of the same century, it is estimated that the vaulted basilica was altered into a domed one with the construction of three domes, one central and two smaller at the sides. At the same time, a curved dome was added to the northern aisle. The arches that house the aisles are covered externally by double roofs that form pediments.
The entrance to the original temple was made by five door openings, one on the north and south side and three on the west. Today the main gate on the west side remains open, while the side openings have been turned into windows.
The church’s narthex whose floor has a great difference in height from the main church has a later date (around the end of the 13th century). The oldest floor of the katholikon is decorated with marble slabs in colorful marble frames. In the center of the middle aisle, five interlocking circles, decorated with mosaic decoration, give the symbolic depiction of the five loaves. The central circle is decorated with a mosaic representation of a double-headed eagle.
Sculptural decoration: The temple is decorated externally on the east side and pediments with brick decorative themes. There are architectural reliefs inside the church, mostly capitals of reused columns that originate from early Christian or ancient buildings. The sculptural decoration includes a marble slab that closes today the window on the south side and depicts a relief form of the archangel Michael.
Several sections of the marble iconostasis are preserved, many of which are walled into the temple’s entrances. A reconstruction attempt of the iconostasis lies at the sculpture room in the dining room of Parigoritissa. The Vlacherna iconostasis is considered one of the masterpieces of Late Byzantine sculpture for its excellent carving and the abundance of decorative themes.
Frescoes: The painted decoration of the monastery’s katholikon was revealed during the removal of newer plaster in 1975-1977. The evident stylistic differences have led to the identification of two phases consistent with the temple’s construction interventions.
The frescoes of the main church belong to the first phase and date back to the middle of the 13th century. Some of the representations are The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The holy Myrrh-bearers, Scenes from the Passion of Christ, and The Incredulity of Saint Thomas .
The frescoes of the narthex belong to the second phase. The most important representations are the Second Coming, the Troparion of Christmas, and the litany of the image of the Hodegetria.
Although the iconographic program has not been brought to light entirely, it is enough to reveal the monumental style and art of high artistic demands. The use of the semi-precious stone, lazurite (lapis lazuli), to give the blue color to the tents’ background and the figures’ clothes is indicative. The quality and craftsmanship of Vlacherna murals’ art equal the artistic expression of Constantinople and Thessaloniki.
Dedication of the temple: The temple used to be dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin until 1814. Today, the temple, parish church of Vlacherna village, is dedicated to the Laying of Our Lady’s Holy Robe and celebrated on the 2nd of July.

The castle: The Byzantine castle of Arta occupies a hill on the northeastern side of the city and incorporates parts of the ancient fortification of Amvrakia. The strategic importance of the place was acknowledged by the ancient Amvrakiotes, who included it in the strong fortification of the lower city following the northern turn of the Arachthos River. The walls’ lower part with the colossal carved stones can be seen on the east and north sides of the Byzantine castle, which is supported on foundations and part of its superstructure.
According to the prevailing standpoint, the ancient fortification was, during the mid-Byzantine years, preserved at a sufficient height, which defined the city and protected the inhabitants. Although we know neither the extent of the Byzantine city nor the actual defensive effectiveness of the ancient walls, their presence seems to be a fundamental reason that the Byzantine castle is relatively small. It did not surround the whole city in contrast to other cities of the time, such as Ioannina, Mystras, Monemvasia, Rogoi, etc. . It was the administrative and military center and seat of the rulers of the Despotate, while the inhabitants resorted to it only in case of need.
According to newer data, the castle of Arta dates back to the mid-Byzantine period. Together with the ancient fortification, it contributed dynamically to the urban development of the Byzantine city, constituting a typical example of Byzantine fortification art and an impressive remnant of medieval Arta. Over the centuries, it has undergone renovations, additions, and repairs.

It consists of three parts:
1) the main fortress
2) two small external walls built at a lower level
3) the inner Acropolis fort, located to the left of the main gate

Its shape is an irregular polygon (maximum length 280m., width 175m.) that is interrupted every 25m. from semicircular, triangular, or polygonal towers, except for the eastern part, which is supported on the ancient wall. It is 2.50 meters thick. Its height reaches 10 meters and is crowned with ramparts having a wall walk for the defenders. Its masonry is simple, with irregularly carved small stones and brick insertion, covered later with mortar. More elaborate, isodomic, cloisonné Byzantine masonry system is found in the upper part of the castle’s west side, while on the east side of the inner fort, there is also brick decoration.
The Chronicle of the Tocco (14th-15th century) states that outside the castle gate was the market “”Borion”” or “”Emporion”” surrounded by houses and gardens. It must have extended along the main road leading to the castle. That is why this area attracted Jews early on (12th century), who settled there and gave the district the name Evraika, which means Jewish.
During the Ottoman period, the castle lost its importance and served as a prison for a long time. General Makrygiannis was imprisoned there.
Xenia: Arta’s old XENIA hotel, the most important and talked-about building in the Prefecture, lies in a central place inside the castle. A modern building in its time, it was built in 1958 by Dionysis Zivas, an architect and professor of the National Technical University of Athens, and funded by the Hellenic Tourism Organization.
The hotel offered just 20 sleeping rooms, while large event venues filled the rest of the place. It closed permanently in 1992.
After years of abandonment that made the building almost inaccessible, an architectural proposal was submitted in 2020 (Xenia 2020) to repurpose Arta’s XENIA. The proposal aims to fully utilize the building and the surrounding area to host various cultural, entertaining, educational, and recreational activities.
Finally, various cultural events are organized every summer in an area inside the castle.