Greece Begins Restoration Project for Daphni Monastery Frescoes

by · Greek City Times

Greece’s Ministry of Culture is advancing plans to conserve and restore the frescoes inside the main church of Daphni Monastery, one of the country’s most important Byzantine monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ministry is coordinating the project through its Directorate for the Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica.

The initiative forms part of a broader programme to protect, restore and showcase Daphni Monastery, preserving its exceptional contribution to Byzantine cultural heritage and the history of Attica.

Located on the slopes of Mount Aigaleo along the Sacred Way, Daphni Monastery ranks among the most significant Byzantine monuments in the region.

Read more: Greece Restores Byzantine Church Frescoes in North Macedonia

Its main church, or Katholikon, dates to the 11th century and follows the distinctive octagonal architectural design developed during the Middle Byzantine period. The same architectural tradition appears at the main churches of Hosios Loukas Monastery and Nea Moni on Chios. UNESCO lists all three monasteries together as a serial World Heritage property.

Culture Ministry outlines wider restoration programme

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said Daphni Monastery represents an important part of Greece’s Byzantine heritage and a unique cultural asset for Attica.

She stressed that its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List alongside Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni underlines its international significance and the need for consistent protection and preservation.

The ministry has completed and continues to implement a comprehensive programme of interventions at the site. The works include fire protection measures, restoration of the monastic complex and repairs to damage caused by ageing, moisture and seismic activity.

The programme also seeks to improve protection and presentation of the monastery’s exceptional works of art.

Mendoni described the study for the conservation and restoration of the church’s frescoes as another important step in this ongoing effort.

She said the ministry would carry out all interventions with full respect for the monument’s authenticity, using modern scientific and technological methods and thorough documentation.

The objective, she added, is to preserve the monastery and its historical evidence for future generations while improving public access to its cultural heritage.

Frescoes reveal centuries of artistic history

Daphni Monastery combines outstanding architectural and artistic features, including exceptional 11th-century wall mosaics, marble revetments and elaborate brickwork decoration.

Its artistic quality has linked its foundation to circles associated with the Byzantine imperial court.

Most of the frescoes currently surviving inside the main church probably date to the 17th century. They replaced earlier marble revetments in the lower sections of the church, while small fragments from a later 20th-century decorative phase also remain.

Conservators have identified surviving frescoes on the side walls of the main church, the southwestern pier supporting the dome, the Prothesis and Diaconicon, and the chapels.

The paintings demonstrate the high artistic quality of the post-Byzantine tradition. Previous generations also carried out several conservation and restoration interventions on the works.

Conservation study identifies extensive deterioration

The conservation and restoration study includes historical research into the monument and its different painting phases, a detailed assessment of the frescoes’ current condition and deterioration, and specifications for the necessary conservation and aesthetic restoration work.

The assessment identifies several significant problems, including:

  • Extensive detachment of painted surfaces and underlying layers.
  • Cracks and deterioration of plaster.
  • Losses and flaking of painted surfaces.
  • Serious moisture-related damage.
  • Deposits of soot and dust.
  • Later overpainting and unsuitable colour restorations that obscure original paintings.
  • Widespread use of structurally incompatible materials during previous interventions.

Restoration works to protect original paintings

The planned conservation programme will stabilise weakened and detached underlying layers, secure flaking paint, remove inappropriate later interventions and clean painted surfaces.

Specialists will remove accumulated salts, dust, soot and greasy deposits before carrying out aesthetic restoration of areas with limited paint loss.

The ministry said conservators would base all interventions on documented scientific evidence and adapt their methods to the specific requirements of each painted surface.

(Source: AMNA)

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