The Virgin Mary of Consolation is the most important and renowned Byzantine church in the prefecture of Arta, Epirus, Greece. It was built in the 13th century by Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, during the peak of the Despotate of Epirus.
Architectural Innovation and Byzantine art
The church is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos, and evidence show that in the 16th century, it served as the catholikon of a women's monastery. Additionally, a distinguishing feature of the church, which renders it a masterpiece of Byzantine art, is its' dome that is like hanging from the sky.
To this day, it maintains its uniqueness and innovation, while it impresses and astonishes with its rich interior, which consists of ornate sculptures, frescoes and mosaics.
The Miraculous Icon of Panagia Parigoritissa
Within the church resides the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary of Consolation (Parigoritissa in Greek). It is placed in a wooden shrine on the iconostasis of the church and serves as the principal worshiping icon in the sanctuary.
Find here: icon with Panagia of Consolation.
The holy icon of the Theotokos of Consolation is a variation of the Eleousa icon type. It combines elements from the Virgin Eleousa, such as the reversed foot of Jesus Christ and the restrained melancholy of the Virgin Mary of Passion of Jesus Christ.