Panagia Chrysospiliotissa, Eastern Orthodox church in central Athens, Greece.
Panagia Chrysospiliotissa is a three-aisled basilica with a dome on Aiolou Street in central Athens. Its two octagonal bell towers are made of marble, and the church combines neoclassical and neo-Byzantine elements such as acroteria and biforate windows. It was built between 1863 and 1892 to designs by Dimitrios Zezos, with construction supervised by Panagis Kalkos and then Ernst Ziller.
The first church on the site was built in 1705 with support from the Mega Spileo Monastery, which gave it the name Chrysospiliotissa. It was damaged during the Greek Revolution, especially in the 1827 siege of Athens, repaired after the Greek state was founded and reopened in 1835. In 1846 parishioners led by Spyros Pavlidis bought neighbouring plots for a larger church; construction began in 1863 to plans by Dimitrios Zezos, supervised by Panagis Kalkos and, after 1878, by Ernst Ziller.
The church is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on 15 August. Its name, Chrysospiliotissa, comes from the Mega Spileo Monastery, whose contribution helped build the first church on the site in 1705. The present building was erected between 1863 and 1892.
The church is located on Aiolou Street in Athens's commercial center and remains open during regular daytime hours for visitors. The central location makes it easy to reach on foot while exploring this busy zone of the city.
The 1705 church took its name from the Mega Spileo Monastery, whose contribution funded its construction. The present building was designed by Dimitrios Zezos, who died in 1857 before work began; Panagis Kalkos supervised until his death in 1878, then Ernst Ziller, who resigned over the dome and was replaced by Dimitrios Soutsos.
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