Serlian manifestations in cretan monasteries (pl. 85-90)

Abstract

1. The monastery of the Holy Trinity, near Canea. The long, three storied, western façade of the lovely setting of this Greek orthodox convent of Crete (near the airport of Canea) is separated into two equal parts by an axis of symmetry most emphasized by a magnificent staircase as well a brilliant mannerist arched portal, corresponding to an inner barrel-vaulted gallery. (Plates 85 and 88). The portal, erected in 1634, as a greek inscription over the central arch quite clearly indicates, is —without any doubt— an outstanding and exact replica of the Porta XV of Sebastiano Serlio's famous throughout all Europe «Libro estraordinario », first published in 1551. (Plates 86 and 87). On the other hand, a special architectural solution given by Serlio in his seventh book (Frankfurt, 1575) under the title of a «propositione quintadecima per fabricare in costa» may, probably, be traced from the same long enough building, which frames the almost rectangular perimeter of the Cretan monastery to the West. 2. The monastery of Arkâdi, near Rethymnon. The three bays elevation of a christian basilica given by Sebastiano in his fourth book on architecture (Venice, 1537) deeply inspired the unknown Cretan master when he erected in 1587 the main (i.e. the western) façade of the church of the wide known in Greece (after the Cretan revolution of 1866) great orthodox monastery of Arkâdi. The church was divided into two aisles and was covered by two parallel, pointed vaults. Serlio's «inventione», which should be used « . . . ogn' hora che l’ Architetto vorrà edificar un tempio sacro... », as Serlio explains, accompanied by some alternations (e. g. Sebastiano's side windows have been replaced by side doors, etc.) and some other additional elements, remained the base of the whole synthesis. (Plate 90). As it has hopefully been shown both examples of orthodox monasteries clearly testify the penetration of Serlio in the Cretan architecture of late 16th and early 17th centuries and both follow other earlier and equally significant discoveries of undoubted Palladian (Fontana Antonio Priuli at Irâklion) and Serlian (Portal of S. Maria at Rethymnon) manifestations in Crete (c f. Jordan Dimacopoulos : Mannerist portal at Rethymnon after a drawing by Sebastiano Serlio, in Athens Annals of Archaeology, V, fase. I, Athens, April 1972, p. 108-112).