Holy Church of Saint Irene

At the historic commercial center of Athens, in the middle of the picturesque square that is today a landmark of the city, is the impressive church of Saint Irene. In the same place there was a small Byzantine-era church, which at the beginning of the 18th century was part of the Penteli Monastery. During the revolution of 1821 it suffered serious damages, it was repaired in 1834-1835 and became the most important temple of the new capital, hosting the official religious ceremonies. In order to meet its growing demands, the architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou was entrusted with its reconstruction. Work began in 1846 and the inauguration of the temple took place in 1850, while its interior decoration was completed later, between the years 1879-1892. The illustration was done by the iconographer Spyridon Hatzigiannopoulos, the greatest representative of church painting of the second half of the 19th century. In fact, this is considered his most important work. The temple continued to be used as a metropolitan until 1862 and during this time it was associated with important events of recent history. Here was the celebration of the first national anniversary in 1838, the funeral of Theodoros Kolokotronis in 1843, and the doxology for the granting of the autocephaly of the Church of Greece in 1850. The church is a three-aisled basilica with a dome and two bell towers in the neoclassical style, an original composition which combines Western Renaissance and Byzantine influences. Architecturally characteristic are the two side niches, which refer to the Catholicos of Mount Athos. For its construction, material from demolished churches of Athens and from ancient ruins was used. Its illustration is limited thematically, with few figures of saints, while on several walls there are passages from the Holy Bible. Its impressive gilded iconostasis was a gift from Tsar Nicholas of Russia in 1850. The church celebrates the day of Saint Irene on May 5.