The church of Agia Fotini in Smyrna in the documents of the State Archives of Venice
in: Smirne e l’ItaliaComunità, Relazioni, I stuzioni, Francesco Pongiluppi,Luis Miguel Selvelli, Editor, ETPbooks , Athens, pp.165-179, 2022
- Publication Type: Book Chapter / Chapter Research Book
- Publication Date: 2022
- Publisher: ETPbooks
- City: Athens
- Page Numbers: pp.165-179
- Editors: Francesco Pongiluppi,Luis Miguel Selvelli, Editor
- Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
- Ankara University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
The church of Agia Fotinì, considered to be one of the most important political and social symbols of the Levantines in Smyrna was, unfortunately, completely destroyed by the fire of 1922. Regarding this building, which was also the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Church, very little is known about its architectural past and construction date, except some photographs and the map of the residential area on the city plans of Smyrna from the beginnings of the 20th century. This study concerns new information about the architectural past of the Agia Fotinì Church, thanks to a group of documents dated to 1624 that were discovered in the State Archives of Venice. The documents in question contain two plans of the church, dated 1600 and 1624, and the lists of expenses incurred by the Republic of Venice, who financed the church in those years. According to the documents, the Republic of Venice covered all kinds of expenses of the church, including the phases of construction, paying the rent and, above all, changed the name of the church. In this context, the information acquired through this study constitutes an important example of interreligious and intercultural solidarity among the Levantines of Smyrna, even if they belonged to different ethnic and religious identities.