Hidden Beneath Plaster, Medieval Frescoes Re-emerge in an Albanian Church

Source: Mediavalists.net

January 3, 2026

    

Medieval wall paintings long hidden beneath plaster and limewash are reappearing inside the Byzantine monastery church of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) in Mesopotamos, Albania, after conservators uncovered previously unknown frescoes during a continuing restoration programme.

The discovery was announced last year by the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (EKBMM), which has been working with Albania’s Ministry of Culture and other local authorities to restore the 13th-century church, once part of an Orthodox monastery in what is now southern Albania.

… Read the rest at Mediavalists.net.

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1/5/2026

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In 2025, he was elected Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, becoming the first ethnic Albanian Archbishop since 1990. Ancient frescoes discovered beneath white walls of historic Albanian church Ancient frescoes discovered beneath white walls of historic Albanian church Ancient frescoes discovered beneath white walls of historic Albanian church Ancient frescoes discovered beneath white walls of historic Albanian church
The colorful paintings, depicting saints and reaching heights of 25 feet, were found during conservation work at the historic church in northern Epirus. Byzantine monastery with mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy discovered near Kiryat Gat Byzantine monastery with mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy discovered near Kiryat Gat Byzantine monastery with mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy discovered near Kiryat Gat Byzantine monastery with mosaic inscription from Deuteronomy discovered near Kiryat Gat
On the floor of the monastery ruins is an intricate mosaic that includes “crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), flowers and geometric patterns.”

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