Trial and Error in Early Byzantine Architecture: The Sixth-Century Gallery Arcades of the Panagia Ekatontapiliani (Katapoliani) in Paros
Mikael Muehlbauer
This article reassesses early Byzantine architecture from the perspective of the Aegean Islands by considering the well-preserved aisled-cruciform-plan Cathedral of Panagia Ekatontapiliani (Mary of a Hundred Doors) on the Cycladic island of Paros. The cathedral is explored as a case study in early Byzantine architecture, demonstrating how the aesthetic motivations behind its design were often at odds with the realities of its seismic landscape. This study focuses on the gallery system of the Justinianic church, arguing, through a close reading of the surviving building fabric, that the upper storey was originally arcaded, mirroring the ground-floor elevation. As originally employed, this design scheme opened the gallery spaces and raised the vault springs of the cross arms. Liable to earthquake damage, the structural system was adjusted in the late sixth century, a hidden transformation that can only be read through archaeological methods, with a stratigraphic sequencing of the masonry applied here. The hypothetical gallery arcades at the Panagia Ekatontapiliani would have mirrored the exterior fenestration and allowed directed sunlight into the church interior. While these were not structurally sound, the resulting light penetration served to activate the marble revetments that once lined the interior, to create a dazzling, luminescent effect, not unlike that witnessed at the contemporary Hagia Sophia. This study illustrates how the close examination of provincial Byzantine monuments, unattested in primary sources, may further elucidate the unique design challenges faced by builders in the sixth century.
