Brontochion Monastery

Brontochion Monastery
Βροντόχιον, Μονή Βροντοχίου
	The frescoes of Aphentiko church, part of the former monastery complex
	Location of the former monastery in Greece
	Interactive map of Brontochion Monastery
Monastery information
Full name	Holy Monastery of Brontochion
Other names	Holy Churches of Saint Theodores and Panagia Hodegetria
Order	Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (former)
Denomination	Eastern Orthodox Church (former)
People
Important associated figures	Theodore I Palaiologos (burial)
Architecture
Status	Monastery (former)
Functional status	Inactive (as a monastery); Historic site;
Style	Byzantine
Completion date	c. 1310
Site
Location	Mystras, Peloponnese
Country	Greece
Coordinates	37°04′34″N 22°22′01″E / 37.076°N 22.367°E
Website
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Archaeological Site of Mystras
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference	511
Inscription	1989 (13th Session)
Area	54.43 ha (134.5 acres)
Buffer zone	1,202.52 ha (2,971.5 acres)

Brontochion Monastery (Greek: Βροντόχιον, Μονή Βροντοχίου) is a former Eastern Orthodox monastery, located in Mystras, in the Peloponnese region of Greece.^[1]

The former monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mystras, inscribed in 1989.

Overview

The abbot Pachomius incorporated into the monastery the small church of the Hodegetria, or "Aphentikon", as the monastery's katholikon.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] The church was reconstructed and completed around 1310, with some scholars giving 1308-1312 as the construction dates and others 1310–1322.^[3]^[6] The despot Theodore I Palaiologos, who died in 1407, is buried in the church.^[7]

The Hodegetria Church is the first example of what's called the "Mystras type" design.^[7] The lower floor is a three-aisled basilica, whereas above is a traditional Byzantine cross-in-square church plan. The cross-in-square, five-domed gallery is encircled by a portico that has a belfry.^[8] There are also features more typical of Constantinople, such as the use of blind arches.

On the lower level the walls are covered by marble revetment, a luxurious feature, and there is also a surviving fresco of the Virgin Mary as Zoodochos Pege (Life-containing Source) in the lunette above the so-called royal door.^[7]

During Ottoman rule, the monastery was converted into a mosque.^[9]

References

^ Bahr, Lauren S.; Johnston, Bernard (1993). Collier's encyclopedia: with bibliography and index. P.F. Collier. p. 71. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ Hendrix, David (2016). "Church of Hagioi Theodoroi". The Byzantine Legacy. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Hellier, Chris (1996). Monasteries of Greece. Tauris Parke Books. ISBN 978-1-85043-264-7. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ Ναός της Οδηγήτριας. ODYSSEUS Portal (in Greek). Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ Jeffreys, Elizabeth; Haldon, John F.; Cormack, Robin (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-19-925246-6. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ Betz, Hans Dieter (2007). Religion past & present: encyclopedia of theology and religion. Chu-Deu. Brill. p. 83. ISBN 978-90-04-13979-4. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hendrix, David (2016). "Church of the Hodegetria". The Byzantine Legacy.
^ Ousterhout, Robert (2021). "Late Byzantine Church Architecture". In Freeman, Evan (ed.). A Smarthistory Guide to Byzantine Art. Smarthistory.
^ "el:Ιερά Μονή Βροντοχίου (Ι. Ν. Αγίων Θεοδώρων & Παναγίας Οδηγήτριας)" [Holy Monastery of Brontochion (Holy Churches of Saint Theodores and Panagia Hodegetria]. religiousgreece.gr (in Greek). Retrieved November 9, 2022.