| Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite | |
|---|---|
Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγ. Διονυσίου Αρεοπαγίτου των Καθολικών | |
 view of the front entrance from Panepistimiou Ave | |
 Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite | |
| 37°58′45″N23°44′04″E / 37.97917°N 23.73444°E /37.97917; 23.73444 | |
| Address | Panepistimiou 24 |
| Country | Greece |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | https://saintdenis.gr/en/ |
| History | |
| Authorisingpapal bull | 23 July 1875 |
| Status | Minor Basilica,cathedral |
| Dedication | Saint Dionysius the Areopagite |
| Events |
|
| Past bishop | Archbishops of Athens |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Greek Ministry of Culture, ΥΠΠΕ/ΔΙΛΑΠ/Γ/2157/45535 |
| Designated | 20 August 1981[5] |
| Architects | |
| Architectural type | three-aisled basilica[2] |
| Style | Renaissance Revival[3] |
| Years built | |
| Groundbreaking | 1860[2] |
| Completed | 4 August 1865[4] |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 38 meters |
| Width | 24 meters |
| Height | 15 meters |
| Number of towers | one rear bell tower |
| Materials | Pentelic marble, green marble fromTinos,brick |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Immediatelyexempt to theHoly See |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Athens |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Theodoros Kontidis |
TheCathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite is the mainCatholic church ofAthens,Greece, and the seat of theCatholic Archbishop of Athens. It is located in central Athens, at the junction of Panepistimiou Avenue with Omirou Street and is dedicated toSaint Dionysius the Areopagite, disciple of the ApostleSaint Paul and the firstbishop of Athens.[3]
The church is a three-aisle basilica in theneo-Renaissance style.[4] The German architectLeo von Klenze drafted the plans for the cathedral at the behest ofKing Otto of Greece.[5] The architecture is influenced bySt Boniface's Abbey in Munich.[3] During the project, the plans were modified by the Greek architectLysandros Kaftanzoglou, who offered to direct the work of the church, until completion, without any remuneration. The land for the construction of the church was purchased in 1847 with money collected among the Catholics of Greece, while the building was built by fundraisers among Catholics both inside and outside the country.[5] The nave was built in 1853 and the inauguration took place on 4 August 1865.[5]
The church is 38 metres long, 15 metres high and 24 metres wide.[4] The church's interior is decorated with beautiful frescoes. Of the most beautiful is the fresco of semi-domes of triumphal arch, representing theApotheosis of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (1890) and is the work of Italian painter from Rimini Guglielmo Bilancioni (1836–1907).[3] The pillars, which support the triumphal arch, represent in life-size thefour Evangelists.[3] In front of the triumphal arch is depictedChrist Pantocrator with the Gospel in hand.[3] In the adjacent corner on the right is Moses holding a parchment, and on the left theProphet David playing a harp. Below are Saint Gregory the Great and Saint Augustine. The church floor is paved withPentelic marble. The nave is supported by 12 columns of 5 metres of green marble fromTinos.[4] The choir loft above the main entrance, which also houses thepipe organ, was built in 1888 by architect Paul Sambi (Paul Chambaut).[4] Right and left of the main entrance are two inscriptions, one in Latin, the other in modern Greek, commemorating the Athenian visit of popeJohn Paul II in 2001. Finally, right and left of the sanctuary are two marble pulpits, donated byFranz Joseph I of Austria when he visited Athens in 1869.[4]
In 1962, the Catholic marriage ofPrincess Sophia of Greece and Denmark andInfante Juan Carlos of Spain took place in the church, which preceded the Orthodox wedding rites.[4]
The eight stained glass windows on both sides of the lower part of the church were painted by the director of the royal workshops of Munich Carl de Boucher (Karl de Bouchet) and donated by KingLudwig I of Bavaria.[4]
The four windows of the right aisle of the church adorn respectively stained glass ofSaint Amalia,Pope Sixtus II,Pope Telesphorus, SaintAthanasius of Alexandria, and the stained glass windows of the left aisle depictingOtto of Bamberg,Pope Anterus,Pope Anacletus and SaintJohn Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople.[3]
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Media related toAgios Dionysios Areopagitis Catholic Cathedral (Athens) at Wikimedia Commons
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