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Nea Mone

Greece, Chios

Nea Mone

per person

Founders of the monastery of Nea Mone, dedicated to Virgin, are the emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and the empress Zoe. Its construction started in 1042 and finished in 1055, that is after the death of the Emperor.

Due to lavish donations through imperial decrees, the monastery became one of the biggest landowners on the island in the middle ages. After a short decline with the Genoese presence on Chios, Nea Mone flourished during the Ottoman period. With the Greek Revolution and the War of Independence, Chios and the monastery was destructed in April 1822. The katholikon suffered more damage and the dome collapsed by an earthquake in 1881; also, the bell-tower dated in 1512 was destroyed. In 1952, the until then male monastery was converted into a nunnery, a practice very often attested in Byzantium.

FORMAL ANALYSIS

The complex was surrounded by walls and a tower which stands on the northeastern segment of the circuit and was used also as library. The monastery included various buildings  such as the now ruined refectory (trapeza), the cells of the monks and two other churches. However, the cells date to the Venetian and Genoese period of the complex.

The 11th century katholikon is divided in the naos (main part of the church), the esonarthex and the exonarthex. Contrary to important monuments of the 11th century mainland, this church is not of a cross type but of an octagonal shape. The octagonal form is found in churches on islands like Chios and Cyprus and is also known as the insular type.

Nea Mone is well known for the exceptional mosaics which belong to the best from the middle byzantine period. Their topics cover the christological circle wich scenes such as the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It is commonly accepted that they were created by Constantinopolitan artists.

EKATERINI MITSIOU

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    Tour Location

    Nea Mone
    Other monuments and places to visitNea Mone (New Monastery) at Chios
    Natural HeritageNea Moni is located in the center of the island,12 kilometers from the town of Chios. The architectural complex of the monastery is located at an altitude of 670 meters above sea level, in a valley of the southern Provateios Mountain or Provatas. The area was full of pine trees but now the forest is regenerating after a fire.
    Historical Recreations
    Festivals of Tourist Interest
    Fairs
    Tourist Office
    Specialized Guides
    Guided visits
    Accommodations
    Restaurants
    Craft
    Bibliography
    Videos
    Website
    Monument or place to visitNea Mone (=New Monastery) at Chios
    Style11th century, 14th century and later (17th century)
    TypeByzantine Monastic architecture
    Epoch11th century, 14th and later
    State of conservationGood conditions.
    Degree of legal protectionUnesco World HeritageSite
    Mailing addressKaries, Τ.Κ. 82100, Karies, Chios (Prefecture of Hios)
    Coordinates GPS38°22′26″N 26°3′20″E
    Property, dependencyMunicipality of Chios
    Possibility of visits by the general public or only specialists
    General public visits
    Conservation needs
    Visiting hours and conditions
    Winter: 8.00-13.00, from 16.30-until sunset
    Summer:
    8.00-13.00, from16.30-until sunset To know the schedules, call the phone: 2271079370
    Ticket amount
    Free entrance
    Research work in progress
    Restoration and rebuilding after the destructions in the 19th century and and earthquake in 1907
    AccessibilityBy car
    Signaling if it is registered on the route
    Bibliography
    - Charalambos Bouras: Nea Moni on Chios: history and architecture. Athen 1982.
    Doula Mouriki: The mosaics of Nea Moni on Chios. Athen 1985.
    Sotiris Voyadjis: The Katholikon of Nea Moni in Chios unveiled. In: Jahrbuch der österreichischen Byzantinistik, 59, 2009, S. 229–242.
    VideosYoutube
    Information websitesodysseus.culture.gr
    neamoni.gr
    web.archive.org
    culture.gr
    whc.unesco.org
    odysseus.culture.gr
    Location12km from the city of Chios (island of Chios, Greece)