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Chapel · Ancient Monument

Royal Chapel (Saint Catherine)

Pyrga, Larnaca District · Late Byzantine Period

Royal Chapel (Saint Catherine): a chapel in Pyrga, Larnaca District. Declared an Ancient Monument in 1907. 3 dated records of work on it, 1976 to 2006, with sources.

Protection

Antiquities Law
  1. 22 October 1907

    Declared an Ancient Monument, No. 8818

    “La Chapelle Royale de la Passion”

    The Cyprus Gazette No. 8809 of 15 November 1907 (Notice No. 8818), p. 6326, PDF p. 266 Online

  2. 10 May 1935

    Scheduled in 1935, First Schedule, Larnaca item 1

    “La Chapelle Royale de la Passion”

    Supplement No. 1 to The Cyprus Gazette No. 2441 of 10 May 1935, A Bill entitled A Law to consolidate and amend the Law relating to Antiquities [the Antiquities Law, 1935], First Schedule, District of Larnaca, item 1, p. 324, PDF p. 344 Online

What was done when

3 records
  1. 1976

    The fourteenth-century frescoes of the Royal Chapel were cleaned and restored.

    Repair and conservation

    As printed

    “Citons en particulier les travaux de nettoyage et de restauration des fresques de la Chapelle Royale de Pyrga, du xive s.”

    Vassos Karageorghis, «Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976», Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 101 (1977), pp. 707-779, p. 779

  2. 2005

    Royal chapel at Pyrga, district of Larnaca; wall paintings restored.

    Repair and conservation

    Pavlos Flourentzos, «Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 2005», Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 130 (2006), pp. 873-919 (trans. Sabine Fourrier), p. 918

  3. 2006

    Conservation of the wall-paintings of the so-called Royal Chapel continued; inflated and detached paint reattached by injection. Printed costs: Government contribution 9.744.

    Repair and conservation

    Pavlos Flourentzos, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities for the Year 2006 (Lefkosia 2008), pp. 29-30

In the literature

4
  1. 1977

    A custodian has been appointed at the Chapelle Royale at Pyrga.

    As printed

    “a custodian has been appointed at the Chapelle Royale at Pyrga.”

    Anon., "Commonwealth Prize for Dr. Karageorghis", Cyprus Today vol. 16, no. 3-4 (May–August 1978), pp. 20–21, p. 21.

  2. Undated

    Chapel donated by king Janus and his wife Charlotte, with Byzantine-style frescoes and Latin inscriptions.

    As printed

    “The Royal Chapel at Pyrga is another example of this ability. This chapel is a donation of king Janus and his wife Charlotte.”

    Joanna Christoforaki, "Mediaeval Art of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 34, no. 3-4 (July–December 1996), pp. 17–25, p. 22.

  3. Undated

    Frankish church with strong Byzantine influence in its monumental painting.

    As printed

    “chapelle royale de Pyrga, Sainte Anne de Famagouste”

    ATHANASE PAPAGEORGHIOU, "L'Art Byzantin de Chypre", Cyprus Today vol. 6, no. 1 (January–March 1968), pp. 18–20, p. 20.

  4. Undated

    Frescoes dated 1421 retain Paleologean style apart from French inscriptions.

    As printed

    “The frescoes of the Lusignian Royal Chapel at Pyrga, dated 1421, aside from the French inscriptions, retain the paleologean style.”

    Ioannis A. Eliades, "Cypriot Painting and its Affinity with Italian Art during the Frankish and Venetian Rule: 1191-1571", Cyprus Today vol. 43, no. 3-4 (July–December 2005), pp. 21–27, p. 23.

Pictures

4
Department of Antiquities of Cyprus4 photographs
  • Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-1, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24760: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, south-east view of the church (DSC0756-1)» Online
  • Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-2, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24764: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, nave, centre of east wall, wall painting (DSC0756-2)» Online
  • Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-3, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24765: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, nave, north wall, wall painting (DSC0756-3)» Online
  • Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-4, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24759: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, south-west view of the church (DSC0756-4)» Online

Sources

  1. 1.Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-2, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24764: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, nave, centre of east wall, wall painting (DSC0756-2)» Online
  2. 2.Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-3, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24765: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, nave, north wall, wall painting (DSC0756-3)» Online
  3. 3.Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-1, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24760: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, south-east view of the church (DSC0756-1)» Online
  4. 4.Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, photographic archive, negative DSC0756-4, via HISTORICA (University of Bologna), fonds «OUC Department of Antiquities Republic of Cyprus» (BYZART, Open University of Cyprus), hdl 20.500.14008/24759: «Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus, Pyrga, "Royal" Chapel, south-west view of the church (DSC0756-4)» Online
  5. 5.Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, «Επισκέψιμα Αρχαία Μνημεία της Κύπρου» (Visitable Ancient Monuments of Cyprus), open dataset, first issued 8 February 2018, modified 16 January 2024, CC BY 4.0, row no. 17 Online
  6. 6.The Cyprus Gazette No. 8809 of 15 November 1907 (Notice No. 8818), p. 6326, PDF p. 266 Online
  7. 7.Supplement No. 1 to The Cyprus Gazette No. 2441 of 10 May 1935, A Bill entitled A Law to consolidate and amend the Law relating to Antiquities [the Antiquities Law, 1935], First Schedule, District of Larnaca, item 1, p. 324, PDF p. 344 Online
  8. 8.Pavlos Flourentzos, «Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 2005», Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 130 (2006), pp. 873-919 (trans. Sabine Fourrier), p. 918
  9. 9.Vassos Karageorghis, «Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976», Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 101 (1977), pp. 707-779, p. 779
  10. 10.Pavlos Flourentzos, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities for the Year 2006 (Lefkosia 2008), pp. 29-30
  11. 11.ATHANASE PAPAGEORGHIOU, "L'Art Byzantin de Chypre", Cyprus Today vol. 6, no. 1 (January–March 1968), pp. 18–20, p. 20.
  12. 12.Anon., "Commonwealth Prize for Dr. Karageorghis", Cyprus Today vol. 16, no. 3-4 (May–August 1978), pp. 20–21, p. 21.
  13. 13.Joanna Christoforaki, "Mediaeval Art of Cyprus", Cyprus Today vol. 34, no. 3-4 (July–December 1996), pp. 17–25, p. 22.
  14. 14.Ioannis A. Eliades, "Cypriot Painting and its Affinity with Italian Art during the Frankish and Venetian Rule: 1191-1571", Cyprus Today vol. 43, no. 3-4 (July–December 2005), pp. 21–27, p. 23.

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