Saint Pantelejmon Monastery

About

This Byzantine-era church and surrounding monastery were constructed in 1164 and dedicated to St. Pantelejmon, the patron saint of physicians and health. The sanctuary's walls are covered in 12th-century frescoes, a painting style in which the religious images were painted onto still-wet plaster so the painting becomes part of the wall itself. St. Pantelejmon’s frescoes are unique to Byzantine religious art, as the figures tend to have more emotional facial expressions and are standing in more active positions than was typical for the time. Analysis of these frescoes has led some art scholars to believe they are part of the shift in perspective from the portrait style of Byzantine art to the more theatrical Renaissance style. Many of the original frescoes were damaged or lost entirely to exposure to the elements and poor re-paintings, but several remain intact and surround the walls of the sanctuary, narthex, and apse against a blue background.