Classical Tour of Albania
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Day 6 - Christian Churches and Onufri
Museum
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The
population of Berat castle was Christian and it originally
had about 40 churches. Eight still survive. The Christians
were allowed to worship during Ottoman times and build
churches, but there was an agreement that the church should
not be visible from outside. They had to be surrounded by a
wall and were not allowed bell towers. Tourists are not
allowed into the churches, except for the Cathedral of the
Assumption of St Mary which is now the Onufri Museum. Holy Trinity Church is built on the hillside below the citadel and dates from the C13/14th. It is a small cross shape building which would have been walled. It was preserved during Communist times when the outer walls were removed. ![]() The Church of St George near the far end of the citadel was originally a monastery style church surrounded by stone walls. This was taken over in the 1980s as the government tourist residence. The upper part of the church was demolished and rebuilt to resemble a typical Berat style house. After the fall of Communism, part of the lower floor was used as a church again. The rest of the building is now empty and under the control of the ministry of Culture who are still deciding what to do with the building. In the meantime it continues to deteriorate and part of the roof collapsed in 2016. ![]() ![]() The Cathedral Church of the Assumption of St Mary is off the main road leading to the Citadel. Hidden away behind a wall it is easy to miss. ![]() ![]() The church was built in 1797 on the foundations of an earlier church. It is a typical orthodox church with a colonnaded porch. Above the doorway is a fresco. ![]() ![]() The wonderful wooden iconostasis is covered in gold leaf and glows in the dark. To the left of the central Royal door is an icon of the Virgin Mary with the Assumption of the Virgin beyond it. To the right is an icon of Jesus Christ Pantokrator with John the Baptist beyond him. Above is a row of prophets. At the top is Christ crucified on the cross with smaller figures of the Virgin and St John on either side. The smell of incense keeps spiders at bay. ![]() The two smaller doors lead through into the sanctuary with the altar. They have paintings of archangel Michael and Archangel gabriel who are guardians of the sanctuary. Only the clergy were allowed into this area. On the wall of the apse are original frescoes of saints. Two very important Codices dating from the C6th and C9th were kept hidden in the church and were not discovered until the 1960s. They are now kept in the National Archives in Tirana with copies available for students to study. Scholars in London are using them to try and produce a Bible acceptable to both Orthodox and Catholic churches. A series of rooms behind the church now house the Onufri Museum of icons. Onufri was a very well regarded icon painter in the C16th and particularly regarded for the depth of his red pigments. ![]() Examples of his work are on display along with that of other painters. As the icons no longer regarded as items of worship and are not kissed or touched, they are not protected by glass. They are a wonderful representation of religious art. Photogrpahy is not allowed in the museum. There are other examples of his art here and here. |
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