Church Architecture of Lagadia

The people of Lagadia, having built a large number of churches, proved to be great church constructors. Based on the available evidence, it seems that they contributed to the development of the neo-octagonal type of church, which is mainly characterized by a sizeable dome that rests on eight points which include even the outer walls of the church. The influence of Ottoman architecture is easily recognizable in this specific church type and corroborates the assumption that our craftsmen had also built mosques and, therefore, had knowledge of the special technical details. Antonios Rigopoulos, the great folk architect from Lagadia, who is considered to have built the mosque of Aga Pasha in Nafplio (Vouleftiko) is a perfect example.

The church architecture of Lagadia is characterized by a number of distinctive morphological features, namely a special type of door frame with a wide opening at the main entrance of the church, a horizontal stone lintel and a tympanum (drum) situated right above, covered by a semicircular relieving arch. In addition, the Lagadia craftsmen are considered the inventors of the pyramidal belfry spire, most probably influenced by the responding bell towers which originate in Italy and are found on the Ionian Islands – where they had worked.