The Red Church () is a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

from in the village of Vourgareli in the Tzoumerka region of Greece. It was founded as the ''

katholikon A ''katholikon'' or catholicon () or ''sobor'' () refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church: * The cathedral of a diocese. * The major Church (building), church building (temple) of a monastery corresponding to a conventual ...

'' of a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

by the brothers John and Theodore Tzimiskes, who held the rank of ''

protostrator ''Prōtostratōr'' () was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master. Its proximity to the imperial person led to a highly visible role in imperial ceremonies, and served as a springboard for several capable individuals, ...

''. The church was originally dedicated to the birth of the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

, but became known as the "Red Church" due to the colour of its masonry. Historically, it was also known as "

Panagia Panagia (, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panayia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, Mother of God, used especially in Orthodox Christianity and E ...

of Vella" (Παναγία Βελλάς), as it was a '' metochi'' of the Vella Monastery, and as "Royal Monastery" (Βασιλομονάστηρο), due to its importance. Due to their strong similarity, it has been suggested that the church was built by the same workshop that erected the Church of St. Mary Peribleptos (also known as St. Clement) in

Ohrid Ohrid ( ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording a population of over 42,000 inhabitants as of ...

in 1295.

References

Byzantine church buildings in Epirus (region) Despotate of Epirus 13th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Churches completed in the 1280s 13th-century churches in Greece {{Greece-church-stub