N. Drandakis, Notes concerning the masonry and architecture of byzantine churches of Mesa. Mani.
The following notes refer to ten churches.
1. Agios Theodoros at the village Babakas, accurarely dated 1075, a domed cross-in-square church. The masonry is cloisonne at the upper 1/3 of the height of the walls, which were also decorated with letters of the alphabet. The two-light window of the northern drum also bears quadrant-shaped bricks with built-in plates. The octagonal cupola is now without windows. Poros stones are vertically built in the angles of the cupola's sides. All three apses of the Bema are three-sided. The church's columns are octagonal. The built screen and the bellfry are later additions.
2. Agios
Petros at Glezos. located a few kilometers away from Pyrgos Dirou, a domed
cross-shaped church, dated around 1025. It is built of rubble stone and marble
and at its upper half with a less accurate system of cloisonne masonry. The east
and west sides of the cupola are longer than the other two. At the inside of the
church, the pendentives are angular. On the west wall, above the door, there is
a horse-shoe arch. The church still bears traces of wall-paintings.
3. Taxiarches
Glezou, a domed cross-in-square distyle church with narthex, referred to as
Saint Marina by earlier scholars. The masonry is cloisonne. At the lower part of
the north side, gray marble stones form two crosses. The apses are three-sided;
the central apse's window is double and above it there are two successive
saw-tooth lintels. The cupola also bears blind windows with built-in plates. A
saw-tooth cornice probably existed only under the roof of the cross. At the
inside of the church, Christ Pantokrator is preserved in the dome and an
insciption is extant in the Prothesis. Later additions include the northern
rectangular window, the butresses of the south wall, the facade of the narthex,
its southern side, part of the north side and the bellfry.
4. Ai-Petrakis,
a small single-aisled vaulted church on the road leading from Faneromeni
Monastery towards Paliochora, built with plenty of large stones, possibly of 13th
century date. The wall-paintings are of a much later date.
5. Agia
Barbara at the village Erimos, a cross-in-square domed distyle church with
narthex, whose central bay forms a continuation of the cross's west arm. The
double-zone capitals are of middle byzantine date, imitating early Christian
models. At the altar’s foot there are popular carvings. Above the door there
is a horse-shoe relieving arch. On the facade, a horizontal saw-tooth lintel and
frieze comprising ceramic unglazed tiles. In the walls, built-in plates. In each
corner of the east wall one vertical marble stone is placed. The central apse is
decorated with a maeander and frieze comprising ceramic tiles. The cupola has
eight sides. At the angles, colonettes, cloisonne masonry. The monument has been
dated 1150 by Megaw.
6. Sotera
Gardenitsas, a cross-in-square domed distyle church. The masonry consists of
smoothened stones. The walls are decorated with more than one saw-tooth lintels.
At the lower part of the north side slabs form three Ts. The cloisonne masonry
is not precise. Saw-tooth cornices also existed under the roofs. The walls are
also decorated with letters of the alphabet. The octagonal cupola rests on a
drum which is supported by 4 recessed niches. The arches of each side of the
cupola are emphasized with a triple layer of bricks, whereas horizontal bricks
above the colonettes are used as capitals. Apart from bricks, pieces of marble
have also been used. The central apse also bears kufic-like brickwork, unique in
Mani. Megaw dates the church tp 1050 approximately and the porch to the first
quarter of the 12th century. The church also preserves remains of
late byzantine wall-paintings.
7.
The church of Sergios and Bacchos at Koita, a byzantine cross-in-square
domed tetrastyle church without narthex, probably built in the first quarter of
the 12th century. On the east side the system of cloisonne masonry
has not been executed with precision. In the central apse there are zones of
saw-tooth lintel and at a higher level a frieze consisting of unglazed
lozenge-shaped tiles. An identical frieze is also found on the north side.
Marble stones near ground level form three crosses alternating with two Ts. On
each side of the door there are narrow rows of Z-shaped motifs and on the left
marble stones forming the letter T. Moreover, on the north side upright marble
stones. At the angles of the octagonal cupola built of standard cloisonne
masonry, marble pseudo-colonettes.
8. Saint
Nicholas of Ochia (near the middle of the 12th century), a
distyle domed church of the helladic type. Here also the central bay of the
narthex is a continuation of the eastern arm of the cross. In the Northwestern
part of the church a four-storey bellfry was added in 1861. On each side of the
doorway's relieving arch there is a frieze comprising bricks forming a triple
maeander. On the west side of the church marble stones were also used. Later
additions also exist. Band-like pseudo-colonettes are incorporated at the angles
of the octagonal cupola.
9.
Ai-Strategos
Boularion, a domed cross-in-square distyle church (first half or beginning
of the 11th century). The first course of poros stone on the South
wall starts from the level of the window sill. No bricks have been used
throughout the building. Under the roof, traces of a saw-tooth cornice are
visible. This means that the church's roof was paved with tiles and not with the
slabs which are now visible.
The dome does not have pseudo-colonettes at the angles. The dome's sides are of unequal length. The pendentives of the later porch, an addition of the 12th century, are more regularly constructed than the pendentives of the naos.
10. Asomatos of Kako Vouno, located 1,5 h away from Koita, is built on the mountain. It is a cross-in-square domed, tetrastyle church with vaulted porch. The interesting feature of its masonry is the articulation of the cupola's surface with ribs. The ribs and the porch are attributed to georgian influences, according to prof. N. Ghioles The church, built of slab-like stones and clay, is in ruins. The three apses are semi-circular and the cupola is octagonal. Remains of a saw -tooth lintel are extant. The church probably dates from the 1st quarter of the 11th century.
