The Virgin Perbleptos of Ohrid (Orthodox Church)
By Lake Ohrid, the church of the Holy Mother of God Perbleptos (Sveta Bogorodica Perivlepta), one of the great treasures of Byzantine painting, has been raised since 1295. We say this with honesty and respect: it is a temple of the Orthodox, non-Catholic Church; we consider it as a common heritage of veneration to the Mother of God, while the small Catholic community of the country prays under the care of the diocese of Skopje.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- It was erected in 1295 by the noble Progon Sgouros, and its frescoes are the first known collaboration of the tesalonicense painters Miguel Astrapas and Eutiquio, teachers of the first paleologist period whose signatures were hidden in the walls themselves and were not rediscovered until the 20th century.
- In its western wall, a cycle of five scenes on the transit of the Virgin: the Sleeping of the Mother of God of 1294-1295, with the apostles coming on clouds next to Mary's bed, is one of the tops of Byzantine monumental painting.
- When the relics of St. Clement of Ohrid were moved to this temple, the people began to call it also "church of St. Clement": under the protection of the Perbleptos - "the one admired by all" - the great evangelizer of the Slavs rested.
- The Catholic faith also has its small flock in North Macedonia: the Latin Diocese of Skopje and the Greek-Catholic Byzantine epoch (raised by Pope Francis in 2018, with about eleven thousand faithful) are united since 2005 in the person of Bishop Kiro Stojanov, whose motto is "Ut unum sint," that all be one.
Virgin Perbleptos
In Ohrid, the Orthodox church of the Virgin Perbleptos (1295) keeps the frescoes of Michael Astrapas and Eutiquio, with a sleeping of the Mother of God that cuts the breath. The Temple of our Orthodox brothers is also a school of love for Mary for all Christianity, while the small Catholic community of the country keeps the unity desired by Christ.
"Mother of God Perbleptos, admired by all, praise the unity of Christians.
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