BASILICA OF THE CATECHISTS
Marching through the Castle of Servia, the ruins of the Basilica of the Catechists are majestically visible. The works carried out between 1995 and 2000 brought to light valuable information about the history of the monument, which dates back to around 1000 AD.
The frescoes found together with other evidence attest to the operation of the church at least until the 16th-17th century AD.
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Approaching the western edge of the castle of Servia, the now half-ruined Basilica of the Catechumenon or Forty Doors, as it is also called, appeared. The group of young people who had been walking around the fortress stopped for a while and looked at the high part of the upper structure, as well as the sanctuary that still stood, revealing the height of the temple when it was still in use. The rays of the sun struggled to penetrate the clouds that had covered the sky. A few of them had succeeded and bathed parts of the mural, giving a unique colour to the faded paintings that had survived the test of time.
"I wonder why it was called the Basilica of the Catechumenon?", someone in the group wondered, and a girl started narrating. Her grandmother's name was Theodora, as was hers, and she had always told her about this particular church, since, as she claimed, many years ago a great and historic marriage took place there, and because of this, her ancestors named one of their children Theodora.
So she began her narrative by explaining that the church was called the "Basilica of the Catechumenon" because it was dedicated to the newly converted Christians, those who were in the process of indoctrination and had not yet been baptized. While this period lasted, they could not attend the Divine Service, during which they remained in the narthex of the church. This particular church had a very long narrow hall, which occupied the entire west side of the building. It originated from the eastern gallery of the atrium, which was incorporated into the church and served as a place for the newly converted Christians to remain.
"But that wasn't always the name of the church," she said, and pointed towards a mural in which the figure of Jesus on a throne was faintly visible. Next to it were the signs of another, that of St Demetrios. It was dedicated to him when it was originally built around 1000 AD.
Some two centuries after the church's inauguration, the marriage of Theodora, daughter of Pierre d'Aulphy, the military governor of the castle, and Michael II Angelos Komnenos, the governor of Epirus, took place there. There were many guests and they could barely fit in the church, despite the fact that its dimensions, measuring 23 by 14 metres, made it one of the largest in the region. The event was extremely important and passed into the popular tradition of the area, as Theodora was to experience great suffering from that day, which, however, she handled with such wisdom and prudence that she was eventually declared a Saint by the Church, and her memory is celebrated on the 11th of March.
The three-aisled Basilica of the Catechumenon was built on top of a plateau formed on the rock many centuries before the construction of the church. Around the 4th to 6th century AD, the site was home to a pre-Christian temple, according to archaeological finds. The foundations of the later building, which was the cathedral of Servia until the 17th century, stood on this temple, while the area around it was used as a cemetery for the inhabitants of the fortress town.
The walls of the church are covered with three layers of murals dating respectively to the 12th, 13th and 15th-16th centuries. Of particular beauty are those of St Florus and another one depicting the betrayal of Judas. Unfortunately, however, after 1920 and the collapse of the wooden roof of the church, all these examples of high Byzantine art have been left exposed to the adverse weather conditions.
- The Castle
- The Town
- The River
Folklore Museum
Housed in the home of Dr. Aristidis Christakis, the purpose of the museum is the preservation and dissemination of the historical heritage and tradition of the region.
Servia
The name “Servia” derives from the Latin verb "servo" meaning "to watch, observe", reflecting the city's position as an impregnable fortress in earlier times.
Haliacmon River
It is the longest river in Greece, gathering the water of the mountains of Western and Central Macedonia, and giving life to a large part of the country before flowing into the Gulf of Thermaikos.
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