The Greek community in Venice dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Republic of Venice was still formally part of the Byzantine Empire. Settled mostly in the sestiere of Castello, it reached its height in the centuries after the Fall of Constantinople, when many Greeks, including merchants, soldiers, and scholars, fled the Ottoman conquest. Tied to the Greek world through its extensive overseas possessions, the city became a major center for Greek education and the Modern Greek Enlightenment, but declined after the Fall of the Venetian Republic and the establishment of the modern Greek state. The community's property is now largely owned and managed by the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice.
Because of the long-standing relationship with Constantinople, there is also a noticeable Orthodox presence in the city. Since 1991, the Church of San Giorgio dei Greci in Venice has become the see of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta and Exarchate of Southern Europe, a Byzantine-rite diocese under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. [2]
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy, officially the Sacred Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of Southern Europe, is a diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople with its see in Venice. The diocese was created in 1991.
Castello is the largest of the six sestieri of Venice, Italy.
Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries. Painters Georgios Klontzas and Damaskenos were major contributors to the Cretan School during the same period. Damaskinos traveled all over the Venetian Empire painting. He remained loyal to his Greek roots stylistically but incorporated some Italian elements in his work. He was strongly influenced by the Venetian school. He painted parts of the Cathedral of San Giorgio dei Greci. Damaskenos has 100 known works. He influenced the works of Theodore Poulakis.
San Giorgio dei Greci is a church in the sestiere (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice, northern Italy. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice. Around this period there was a similar church in Naples called Santi Pietro e Paolo dei Greci. There was also a Greek Brotherhood of Naples.
Emmanuel Tzanes, also known as BounialisEmmanuel Tzane-Bounialis, Emmanuel Zane, and Emmanuel Tzane, was a Greek Renaissance iconographer, author, clergyman, and educator. He spent the latter half of his life in Venice, where he was parish priest of the church of San Giorgio dei Greci and a member of the Flanginian School run by the city's Greek Confraternity. Tzanes wrote icons in the style of the Cretan School, influenced by contemporary trends in Venetian painting. His known extant works, over 130 in number, can be found in public foundations, private collections, churches and monasteries in Greece. The most popular of these is The Holy Towel, finished in 1659. Tzanes was a collaborator with Philotheos Skoufos, and brothers with the painter Konstantinos Tzanes and the poet Marinos Tzanes.
Greeks in Italy have been present since the migrations of traders and colonial foundations in the 8th century BC, continuing down to the present time. Nowadays, there is an ethnic minority known as the Griko people, who live in the Southern Italian regions of Calabria and Apulia, especially the peninsula of Salento, within the ancient Magna Graecia region, who speak a distinctive dialect of Greek called Griko. They are believed to be remnants of the ancient and medieval Greek communities, who have lived in the south of Italy for centuries. A Greek community has long existed in Venice as well, the current centre of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta, which in addition was a Byzantine province until the 10th century and held territory in Morea and Crete until the 17th century. Alongside this group, a smaller number of more recent migrants from Greece lives in Italy, forming an expatriate community in the country. Today many Greeks in Southern Italy follow Italian customs and culture, experiencing assimilation.
The Flanginian School was a Greek educational institution that operated in Venice, Italy, from 1664–1665 to 1905. The Flanginian produced several teachers who contributed to the modern Greek Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Scuola dei Greci was the confraternity of the Greek community in Venice. Its members were primarily Greeks, but also included Serbs.
The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice is a research centre owned and funded by the Greek state in Venice, Italy, focusing on Byzantine and Post-Byzantine/Modern Greek studies. It is the only Greek research institute abroad.
Victor was a painter active during the 17th century. He represented the late Cretan school. He was influenced by Michael Damaskinos. He kept his style simple and followed the lines of the improved maniera greca which was heavily influenced by the Venetian school. One of his main influences was Michael Damaskinos. He was active when four different artists used the name Victor. He has a huge catalog of work attributed to him. According to the Neo-Hellenic Institute, ninety-five of his paintings and one fresco survived. He was an extremely popular Greek icon painter.
Konstantinos Tzanes was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was a painter in Crete and Venice. His brother Emmanuel Tzanes was the parish priest of the church of San Giorgio dei Greci. Emmanuel Tzanes was also a famous painter and author. Konstantinos followed the Venetian style and in some instances completely broke from the maniera greca. His other brother Marinos Tzanes was a famous poet. Konstantinos's work influenced both Greek and Italian Painters. His most popular work is the painting by Mary Magdalene which is at the Greek Institute in Venice.
Ioannis Moskos was a Greek painter that migrated to Venice. Two other very famous painters with the name Moskos were active around the same period Elias Moskos and Leos Moskos. Leos Moskos frequently traveled all over the Venitian Empire and was in Venice around the same period as Ioannis. He is not Elias Moskos's son. The Moskos painters may have had some relationship but documentation is unavailable. Ioannis painted in the traditional maniera greca and the Venetian style. His art resembles Michael Damaskinos and Andreas Pavias. He was affiliated with the church of San Giorgio dei Greci. He left a huge assortment of paintings that can be found all over the world. His most popular work is The Crucifixion.
Efstathios Karousos also known as Eustathios Karousos, Efstathio Karousou (Greek: Ευστάθιο Καρουσου, Eustacchio Caruso and Eustachio Caruso. He was a Greek painter and writer. He is one of the elite painters from the island of Cephalonia. Other painters from the same region around the same period included Andreas Karantinos and Gerasimos Pitsamanos. He was active in Cephalonia, Naples, Trieste, and other parts of Italy. Some of his paintings have survived. He is one of few Greek painters to have worked and lived outside of the Venetian Empire. Both Karousos and Belisario Corenzio were active painters in Naples. Some of his work emulated the typical Heptanese School. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, forty-nine of his works survived. Thirty-eight of his works are in the church Santi Pietro e Paolo dei Greci.
Santi Pietro e Paolo dei Greci is a church at the Campania, the historic center of Naples, in Via San Tommaso d'Aquino 51. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci in Naples and the Confraternity of the Greeks in Naples. Around this period there was a similar church in Venice called San Giorgio dei Greci. There was also a Greek Brotherhood of Venice. A prominent member of the Greek Brotherhood was famous painter Belisario Corenzio. The church was initially dedicated to the Twelve Apostles. They began building the church at the request of one of the descendants of the Byzantine Empire Thomas Asen Palaiologos. The church currently belongs to the Greek State.
Giovanni Kyprios, also known as Zuane Ciprioto and Ioannis Kyprios. He was a Greek painter from Cyprus living in Venice. Other Greek painters living in Venice around the same period were Thomas Bathas and Emmanuel Tzanfournaris. Kyprios was active during the second part of the 16th century. He was associated with famous painter Tintoretto. Kyprios painted in the traditional Byzantine style. He mixed the traditional Byzantine style with Venetian painting. His work was also influenced by the Cretan artists namely Michael Damaskinos. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, eight paintings are attributed to Kyprios. His most notable work is the Dome at San Giorgio dei Greci.
The Crucifixion is an egg tempera painting created by Ioannis Moskos. Moskos was a Greek painter originally from Crete. He migrated to Venice. Two other painters named Moskos were active during the same period. Their names were Elias Moskos and Leos Moskos. Leos and Ioannis were both in Venice during the same period. Ioannis was a member of the Late Cretan School. He was active from 1650 to 1721. Forty-four of his paintings survived.
The Crucifixion is a painting created by Georgio Markazini. Markazini was a Greek painter from the island of Crete. He migrated to Venice. He was active during the middle part of the 17th century. Two of the painter's works survived. The crucifixion was a very popular subject among Cretan painters. Andreas Pavias, Emmanuel Lambardos, and Theophanes the Cretan created a similar style crucifixion. The Cretan painters frequently influenced each other.
Marinos Tzanes, also known as Marinos Tzanes Bounialis was a Greek painter and poet. His most notable work, The Cretan War, was printed in 1681 and is over six hundred pages long. The book is a historical account of the Cretan War between Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire and it is accompanied with short poems. None of Marinos' signed works have survived. His brother Emmanuel Tzanes was one of the most prolific painters of the 17th century and has one of the largest existing catalogs of Greek-style paintings. His other brother Konstantinos Tzanes also has existing works. All three brothers were affiliated with San Giorgio dei Greci. The family settled in Venice after 1650. He was a prominent member of the Greek community in Venice.
The Nativity is an egg tempera painting by Victor. Victor is sometimes referred to as Victor of Crete. Victor was active from 1645 to 1696. He traveled all over the Venetian empire. He settled in Zakinthos. Some of his important works can be found in the church San Giorgio dei Greci in Venice. He is a very important Greek painter because of his existing catalog. His works of art exceed ninety-five paintings. One of his notable works was his version of Christ the Vine.
Ladder of Divine Ascent is a tempera painting created by painter and priest Emmanuel Tzanes. Tzanes flourished during the 17th century in Crete, Corfu, and Venice, Italy and his catalog of works numbers over 130. He was a member of an artistic family and both his brothers Konstantinos Tzanes and Marinos Tzanes were painters but Konstantinos is better known for his famous poem about Crete entitled The Cretan War. The family eventually settled in Venice where Emmanuel was elected priest of San Giorgio dei Greci where he completed a large number of his works from 1660 to 1690. Three years after his appointment he completed Ladder of Divine Ascent. Tzanes painted in the traditional Greek mannerisms or maniera greca following the lines of the Cretan School but also integrated the predominant painting style of Venice during that period.