Boyana Church
Type:
Churches,
Wall paintings
Date:
Paintings completed ca. 1259
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Bulgaria
Description:
The Bulgarian Boyana Church, also known as the Church of Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon, was begun in the tenth century (east wing) and then expanded and renovated over subsequent centuries. The interior of the central wing, erected beside the original church in the thirteenth century, is covered in colorful frescoes. The program in the nave includes angels and the four Evangelists with Christ Pantokrator, scenes from the life of Christ, and images of the Virgin. A donor's inscription in Old Bulgarian was added to the narthex in 1259 after the completion of a fresco campaign. Portraits of the donors, Sebastokrator Kaloyan (holding a small model of the church) and his wife Desislava, appear with the Bulgarian Tsar Konstantin-Asen Tikh and Tzaritsa Irina.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
9
Repository and Online Resources:
• Visit the website of the Boyana Church for more information on its art and architecture.
• Visit the page on the Boyana Church on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Image Credits:
Wikimedia commons
Tags:
Eastern European,
Christian,
Access to the sacred,
Bible,
Women
