The great monument of the island was given to the public, while the award was given by Europa Nostra to the restoration project of the monument by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades
In the presence of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the ceremony of handing over the Diocese of Sikinos to the public took place tonight, as well as the awarding by Europa Nostra of the restoration project of the monument by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades.
During her greeting, Mrs. Sakellaropoulou spoke of “A monument in which layers of the history of Hellenism are inscribed” and congratulated the contributors to this exemplary restoration that was honored with the European Cultural Heritage Award, Europa Nostra 2022.
As he pointed out, the methodical research and meticulous conservation of the temple, under the guidance of the head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades Dimitris Athanasoulis, with the participation of the Municipality and the Region of the South Aegean and with the support of the Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture and the Martinos Foundation, but above all, the tireless, long-term dedication of archaeologists, architects, conservators, workers, employees of the Ministry of Culture, as well as ordinary residents, highlighted in the best way this unique cultural landmark, allowing us today to grope with awe the traces of our long history.
The following is the entire greeting of the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou:
“It is with great joy that I am in the middle of the Aegean, in the unspoiled place of Sikinos, in front of this excellent, exemplary work of restoration and restoration. In one of our most beautiful Cycladic islands, “the spine of some Zeus”, as Odysseus Elytis wrote in ‘Axion Esti’, and at the same time a child of the Virgin Mary who “holds him in her apron”, just like his other sea-faring siblings. In front of a monument like Episkopi, these verses take on a literal meaning. They tell us about the admirable synthesis of two perceptions of the world, man and his destination, which despite their different origins, orientation and perspective, converge and interact. They poetically describe the metamorphosis and rescue of ancient Hellenism through its compatibility with Christianity. They condense with extraordinary sensitivity the feeling we get when we see monuments like this impressive palimpsest of antiquity and the Middle Ages.
The temple of the Episcopate is a long, very long narrative that goes beyond the short time of a person’s life and goes beyond the urgency of explosive events. We distinguish here features of a conception of the sacred that remain unchanged, or rather are digested one within the other, while around them thousands of ruptures and upheavals renew the face of the world. As very aptly said, the church of Episkopi is a capacitor of historical charge. A Roman mausoleum, which was converted into a Christian temple after a dome in the early Byzantine times, later, during the Middle Ages, it received columnar interventions and remained in use as a church until sixty years ago. A monument in which layers of the history of Hellenism are inscribed.
We learn that the anonymous Cycladic craftsman, who undertook the transformation of the mausoleum into a church, not only preserved the temple-like building of the Roman period but also restored it, relocating even parts of the ancient triggo in their place. At a first, hasty assessment, one is inclined to think that this composition was a product of necessity, or even manufacturing convenience. But it’s not like that. It is the result of the desire to connect the Byzantine present with the ancient past. To mention the continuation. And thus to illuminate the mysterious and difficult to interpret function of the sanctuary as a fundamental human experience, which was expressed in various forms in the long, unbroken course of Greek civilization.
I want to congratulate the contributors to this exemplary restoration which is being honored today with the European Cultural Heritage Award, Europa Nostra 2022. The methodical research and meticulous conservation of the temple, under the guidance of the head of the Cycladic Antiquities Ephorate, Dimitris Athanasoulis, with the participation of the Municipality and the South Aegean Region and with the support of the Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture and the Martin Foundation, but above all the tireless, long-term dedication of archaeologists, architects, conservators, workers, employees of the Ministry of Culture, as well as ordinary residents, highlighted in the best way this unique cultural landmark, allowing us today to feel in awe the traces of our long history. We thank them.”
RES-EMP
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