Kapnikarea Church

Kapnikarea Church

The church of Kapnikarea is located on Ermou Street, between the squares of Syntagma and Monastiraki. Kapnikarea was built in the 11th Century on the ruins of another church.

This may explain the fact that the dome is held by four Roman pillars. In 1834, it was planned to be demolished, but with the timely intervention of King Ludwig I of Bavaria the demolition was avoided. The church was renovated during the decade of 1950 by the University of Athens.
 

During the renovation, the artist Fotis Kontoglou (1895-1965) created the majority of the icons that decorate the church, among them is one of the Virgin with the Child.