450th anniversary of Greek church in Venice, oldest Orthodox diaspora church

Venice, July 25, 2024

Photo: Romfea Photo: Romfea     

This year marks the 450th anniversary of the completion of the first Orthodox diaspora church. On June 16, festive events were held in honor of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church (San Giorgio dei Greci) in Venice.

The church, designed by the famous architects Sante Lombardo, Gianantonio Chiona, and Bernardo Ongarin, was constructed between 1539 and 1573. Over the centuries, it has served as a center for Greek Orthodox life in the diaspora. It has served as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Archdiocese of Italy since 1991.

The cathedral was built with contributions from the Orthodox faithful. “It’s heartwarming how many of the community members put up their valuables as collateral to be able to purchase this plot of land... We should be proud of what these people have done,” commented the president of the Greek Orthodox community of Venice, according to the Orthodoxia News Agency.

The community honored the anniversary with a hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 16, celebrated by Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia. In the evening, there was an academic conference and a concert of Greek music.

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6/25/2024

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