Basilica of St. Achillios
The Basilica of St. Achillios (Greek: Βασιλική του Αγίου Αχιλλίου) is an early Byzantine basilica on the acropolis of Larissa, Greece, dedicated to the city's patron saint, St. Achillios.
| Basilica of St. Achillios | |
|---|---|
Βασιλική του Αγίου Αχιλλίου | |
 Remains of the basilica today | |
  Basilica of St. Achillios | |
| Location | Larissa |
| Country | Greece |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox |
| History | |
| Status | Ruined |
| Dedication | St. Achillios |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Basilica |
| Style | Byzantine architecture |
| Completed | mid-6th century |
| Demolished | late 15th century |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Metropolis of Larissa |
The church was discovered and excavated in 1978, during works on the local free-air market.[1]
The excavations revealed the foundations of a mid-6th-century church, dedicated to St. Achillios according to surviving inscriptions.[1][2] Achillios had lived in the early 4th century and been the city's metropolitan bishop for 35 years.[1] The structure is located on the top of the Frourio Hill, the city's acropolis, between the First Ancient Theatre and the later, Ottoman-era Bedesten.[1]
It is a typical three-aisled basilica with a narthex and exonarthex. Originally it was covered by a wooden roof.[1] Various graves have been excavated in and around the church, including three vaulted tombs and a number of box-like graves.[1] A vaulted tomb on the eastern end of the northern aisle, decorated with crosses, may be the grave of St. Achillios.[1][2]
As the cathedral of the Metropolis of Larissa, the church was repaired in the middle Byzantine period, when it became the centre of a large cemetery stretching to the east.[2] Excavations have revealed a number of outbuildings erected during this period, probably used as storehouses, baths, charitable institutions, etc.[2] The church is attested until the middle of the 14th century,[1] and was probably demolished when the Ottomans built the Bedesten in the late 15th century.[1][2]
References
- "Η Βασιλική του Αγίου Αχιλλίου" (in Greek). Larissa Ephorate of Antiquities. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "Παλαιοχριστιανική Βασιλική Φρουρίου". Municipality of Larissa Cultural Portal (in Greek). Municipality of Larissa. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2018.