Architecture, identity and phases of construction of the Byzantine church of St. Mary Vllaherna - Berat/Albania

Abstract

The town of Berat is one of the oldest in Albania, with the earliest traces of settlement dating from 2600-1800 BC, while the castle area had stone fortifications by the the 4th century BC. In antiquity, Berat was known as Antipatreia, a fortified centre which succeeded in resisting the Roman legions for a time. During the Byzantine period, in 533, Berat is called Pulcheriopolis, after the 5th century Byzantine Empress Pulcheria. The 13th - 14th centuries, period in which Berat was still under the Byzantine Empire, was a time of great development for this city. The partial reconstruction of the fortification walls as well as the construction of 3 important churches: St. Mary Vllaherna, Holy Trinity and St. Michael are a testimony of the economic development of this period.This article is the result of a research study on the Byzantine Church of St. Mary Vllaherna. It aims at the study of the architecture, phases of construction and transformations in time of this church. Today St. Mary Vllaherna presents an unusual architectural plan, an infinity of material traces testimony of its transformation in time and an outstanding interior frescoed by Nicholas Onufri in 1578. For the above reasons St. Mary Vllaherna is chosen as a case study for this research.As a conclusion, this article presents hypothesis and facts regarding the phases of construction and transformation in time of this church. This is realized through a detailed study of the present architectural structure and masonry, comparative studies with other churches of the same period, geometrical and proportional study of the structure as well as research of historical documentation.