La basilica paleocristiana presso il porto orientale di Efestia (Lemno): osservazioni preliminari sulla sua architettura

A preliminary analysis on the architecture and the architectural decoration of the early Christian basilica by the East harbor at Hephaestia, Lemnos, is presented in the current paper. The church, unearthed by Italian archaeologists already in 1926, is nowadays systematically investigated by the Italian School of Archaeology at Athens, since 2018. Although fragmentary, the available, collected data allow the reconstruction of a three-aisled basilica with upper galleries, preceded by a narthex with tribelon. A synthronon, probably surrounded by an annular corridor (kyklion), was set i the apsis, which was possibly illuminated by a five- lobed window. There is little evidence for the altar, which should be placed over the reliquary in the presbyterium area; this latter was delimited by a iconostasis, of the “discontinuous”, inverted π type, with, possibly, a projecting prostoon. As for the ambo, it could probably be of the Aegean-Constantinopolitan typology and placed in the main nave, towards the South; a support for its platform may be recognized i a small semi-column with Corinthian capital, probably of Proconnesian marble. Differently, the analysis of all the other architectural members provide evidence for the adoption of standardized elements, in Thasian marble and typical for the Thasian workshops: therefore, the examined church fits strictly to the architectural style elaborated on the island close by, at the North-West.

Il contributo propone in via preliminare l’analisi dell’architettura e della decorazione architettonica della Basilica del Porto di Efestia, già scoperta dagli Italiani nel 1926 e, dal 2018, scavata sistematicamente dalla Missione della Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene. Pur frammentari, i dati desunti consetono di restituire un edificio a tre navate con gallerie, preceduto da un nartece con tribelon. Nell’abside, probabilmente illuminata da una pentafora, un synthronon forse con kyklion; la trapeza doveva sormontare il reliquiario nel bema, che era delimitato da un templon discotinuo, a π rovesciato, forse con prostoon. L’ambone, probabilmente posto verso S nella navata centrale, poteva essere di tipo egeo-costantinopolitano. Se un possibile sostegno della sua piattaforma parrebbe realizzato in proconnesio, per il resto i caratteri della decorazione architettonica denunciano il ricorso a elementi standardizzati in marmo tasio, al cui linguaggio architettonico, ipso facto, la chiesa di Efestia si uniforma.