The Vrina Plain Basilica

The Vrina Plain Basilica was built around the end of the 5th century AD. It was ca. 19.21 by 15,85 m in extent. It partly overlaid a large Roman house that had been abandoned for some time. The church featured two aisles and a single apse.

The basilica was partly built over a large Roman house, but also re-used some of its walls. The floor of the basilica was decorated with mosaics. These mosaics showed scenes with animals and plants, essentially representing god’s paradise. Around the basilica several other structures were built. One of these was a small bathhouse built at the area of the original Roman bathhouse. The basilica was abandoned around the mid-6th century, possible due to a fire.

In the 9th century, the site was re-occupied. The church and its surrounding buildings were adapted into a large house of a Byzantine official. Even though the church was substantially altered, its religious function was preserved in at least part of the building. From the late 10th century onward, occupation at the site continued, but only at a smaller scale.

Aerial photo of the excavated Vrina Plain Basilica (Photo: Hansen et al. 2013, 142).

Part of the nave mosaic of the basilica (Photo: after Hansen et al. 2013, plate 8.3)

Plan of the area of the Vrina Plain Basilica, showing the multiple construction phases (Hansen et al. 2013, plate 8.1)