RTSH.al

“St. Mary” Church in Vllahogoranxi, Painted by Onufër Qiprioti

The St. Mary Church in Vllahogoranxi, Dropull, dates back to 1622.

Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, called it a rare treasure of Albania’s cultural heritage. The church preserves mural paintings by the renowned iconographer Onufër Qiprioti, showing the continuity and high value of the Albanian iconography school.

Besides Qiprioti, the church also holds frescoes by Aliviziu, confirmed by an inscription on the south wall.

According to Prof. Pirro Thomos, the church is a basilica with a dome, measuring 7.50 × 6.80 meters. It has a naos and an altar. Later, a narthex was added.

The older section contains six stone columns connected by mortar with stone capitals. Two arches above the columns divide the church into three naves. The naos connects to the narthex on the west side.

The church is built with stone and lime mortar. Large stones sit at the corners. The west gate features antique decorations. Over the four eastern columns, a drum rises, held by arches and topped with a dome.

/a.c/

Të ngjashme

RTI