Column-supported narthexes-lites in monastic architecture
Abstract
The wide narthex supported on columns, called lite because of the monastic office performed in this space, essentially constitutes an annex to the body of the church that provided important additional spaces to the nave wherever it was used. This purely monastic feature appeared during the middle Byzantine period and was widespread in the Balkan peninsula until the 19th century. Research has yielded 52 examples, which are presented in a catalogue at the end of the article. In most cases they are monastic churches. They are distributed in central and northern Greece especially on Mount Athos, where 23 churches accompanied by column-supported lites have been located. In addition, there are important churches with lites in the region of the former Yugoslavia from the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries, as well as in Romania.
Article Details
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ΒΟΓΙΑΤΖΗΣ Σ. (2014). Column-supported narthexes-lites in monastic architecture. Deltion of the Christian Archaeological Society, 33, 37–54. https://doi.org/10.12681/dchae.1233
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