1. Introduction

Basil I the Macedonian (867-886), founder of the dynasty, developed the vastest building activity at the capital since the times of Justinian I (527-565), since he aimed at propagaiting his powerful political program through his activity as a founder and donor. Until 1056, when Theodora, the last representative of Basil’s II family, died, the appearance of Constantinople was a lot more different than two centuries earlier, when Basil had assumed power. Besides the additions to the Great Palace, many important centers were erected, mostly along the two Mese’s main branches. However, the dimensions of the new imperial foundations were diminishing and their character was more private, a trend that was more openly manifested when the Komnenoi chose the palace of Blachernai as their residence, which better suited the emperors’ needs and capabilities.

2. The early days

The bloom of Constantinople had already begun since the times of Theophilos’ reign (829-842), who erected mainly secular edifices, with the exception of a chapel dedicated to Archangel Michael, which is recorded in the sources. Theophilos’ son, Michael III (842-867), was a real forerunner of Basil’s activities: after the final victory of Orthodoxy and the end of Iconoclasm (843), the idea of revival became the predominant trend within the Byzantine civilization, while various characteristics that underlined this renewal and the arrival of a new era were used to display the difference between the period of the heretical iconoclast emperors and the new Orthodox rulers. Patriarch Photios (858-867, 877-887) especially propagated this ideology, inaugurating Michael’s III most important foundation, the church of Virgin Mary of Pharos at the palace on April 12, 864,¹ and he officially celebrated the completion of Virgin’s mosaic in Hagia Sophia’s main apse conch on March 29, 867.

3. Basil I

Already since the time when Basil I was co-emperor of Michael III, he contributed to the flourishing building activity in the city; and after Michael’s III murder (24 September 867) he continued with eagerness towards the same direction. Basil through his building activity pointed out the exceptional position and significance of the capital city, since the more than thirty newly-erected or restored churches were all situated inside the city or very close to its walls. Basil’s edifices bore great political symbolism even when the motive for their erection were at first sight personal (such was the case of the restoration of Saint Diomedes near Golden Gate)², or when their restoration was undertaken after damages caused by earthquakes (Virgin Mary of Pege [869], Virgin Mary of Sigma square [870], Holy Apostles and Hagia Sophia). On each case the personality, the ideology as well as the royal destiny of the founder of the Macedonian dynasty was exalted. With regard to Basil’s authority as an inspirer of building activity, particularly important were the restoration of Saint Mokios’ church, a very popular saint at Constantinople, and the erection of Saint Euphemia’s monastery at Petrion,³ where his four daughters led a monastic life and inside which most of his family members were buried. Nevertheless, the political and ideological significance of capital’s renewal becomes more apparent when it comes to the case of the most important buildings inside the imperial palace. Of special importance was Nea Ekklesia (New Church), Basil’s main ecclesiastical foundation, which had a fivefold dedication (it was dedicated to Christ, Virgin Mary, prophet Elijah, Saint Nikolaos and one of the archangels, originally to Gabriel and later on to Michael) and it had probably been constructed as a five-domed cross-in-square church.⁴ Nea Ekklesia constituted Basil’s “answer” not only to Michael’s III church of Virgin Mary of Pharos, but also to the increased influence of the patriarchal institution over Constantinople. The post-Iconoclasm patriarchs of Constantinople propagated more and more their role and their direct relationship with Christ (at the expense of the imperial authority), and Hagia Sophia was gradually evolving to the center of their power. For that reason Nea Ekklesia is called by some sources the New Great (or Royal) Church, thus clearly highlighting its importance for the imperial power. This is confirmed by Basil himself, who established the day of Nea Ekklesia’s consecration, May the 1st (880), as the new official feast day at Constantinople. On that day each year, the consecration of Basil’s main foundation was celebrated at the capital in an official religious procession, drawing a parallel with the celebration of Constantinople’s inauguration on the 11^th of May, which Constantine the Great, the founder of the city had established. Basil’s building program at the imperial Great Palace, acquiring a heavy political overtone, was supplemented by the building of Kainourgion palace, famous for its mosaic decoration, on which the life of Basil was depicted.

4. Leo VI

What characterizes the building activity at Constantinople under Basil I is the fact that its development (and its control) was at the hands of the emperor himself. Already during the times of Leo VI (887-912), of Basil’s I son, the aristocracy, the secular as well as the ecclesiastical one, took charge of the building activity at the capital city. Leo VI himself confirmed this development by his legislation, granting to the rich, who owned not only palaces but private chapels as well, the right to call by themselves a priest and to perform almost private liturgies. Leo VI erected his most significant buildings inside the imperial palaces: the complex of Saint Lazarus church and baths, lavishly decorated with mosaics of pagan motifs. Besides the above-mentioned edifices, Leo VI, led by political motives, after the death and the canonization of his first wife Theophano (†895/6), tried to build a church dedicated to her next to the church of the Holy Apostles. Nevertheless, because of the Church’s objection, he was forced to dedicate it to Hagioi Pantes (All Saints); but within the church he made a chapel for St. Theophano and to another one for a certain St. Leo.⁵ In his days the capital’s quarter around the forum Bovis acquired special significance; there Stylianos Zaoutzes and patriarch Antonios Kavleas (893-901) erected their churches, while the emperor himself delivered official homilies on the occasion of these churches’ consecration. In the same city quarter Romanos Lekapenos had his residence, his estate, where early into his reign (around 920-922) he erected the Myrelaion Monastery. His wife Theodora was buried there in 922 and the monastery became the Lekapenos family mausoleum. To this monastery Romanos Lakapenos’ body was transferred, after his death in exile in 948, while the monastery maintained its importance during the following centuries as well. From the monastery today remains only the church, which was converted into a mosque under the name Bodrum çamii.⁶ A little northern to the walls, but also on the main road of Constantinople, the Mese, Constantine Lips, close collaborator of Leo VI, erected a monastery dedicated to Virgin Mary, at whose consecration in 907 patriarch Euthymios and the emperor himself were present. On the estate at Psamathia, near the well-known Stoudios monastery, patriarch Euthymios (907-912) since the beginnings of his patriarchal office erected his monastery, promulgating his close relations with emperor Leo VI, whose spiritual father he was.⁷ The large building activity that took place at the beginnings of the 10^th century was not carried on during the following decades of this fruitful century of the Macedonian Renaissance, a fact that has caused the surprise of modern scholars.⁸

5. Constantine VII

The rich intellectual and literary activity of the cycle that Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (913/945-959) formed around him never found similar expression in building activity at Constantinople. Constantine Porphyrogennetos was more preoccupied with the renovation of the imperial palace, where he also built a new palace for his son and successor Romanos II (959-963).⁹ The palace’s renovation aimed at propagating his imperial legitimacy, which was not widely accepted and was threatened for decades. The edifices were much more reduced in their size than those of Basil I's times; this is evident, for example, in the case of the stables that patriarch Theophylaktos, son of Romanos Lakapenos, (933-956) built near Hagia Sophia and which Constantine VII turned into an asylum for taking care of the destitute elderly (gerokomeion).¹⁰

6. John I, Basil II, Romanos III, Michael IV

Since man was becoming the measure of all things, the dimensions of the edifices continued to diminish, a trend visible already since the beginnings of the 10^th century, under Leo VI. John I Tzimiskes (969-976), after his great victory and the dissolution of the Bulgarian state, renovated and enlarged the church of Christ Savior, which Romanos Lakapenos had erected, next to the Chalke Gate. By associating his victory directly with Christ (namely, he cut coins inscribed “Jesus Christ, King of those who rule”)¹¹, John Tzimiskes renovated this building, which survived until 1804.¹² Such personal relationship with the foundations was preserved throughout the 11^th century. Basil II, by applying a strict policy, deprived Saint Basil’s monastery of its privileges and estates; the founder of that monastery was Basil the illegitimate child of Romanos Lakapenos and Basil’s II uncle. The emperor himself decided to be buried into the church of Saint John Prodromos at Hebdomon outside Constantinople. On the contrary, all the emperors from Romanos III Argyros until Constantine IX Monomachos built monasteries, which were intended to serve at the same time as their burial place.¹³ Emperor Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034) erected a monastery dedicated to Virgin Mary Peribleptos, near Stoudios Monastery, spending huge amounts of money for its decoration.¹⁴ Michael IV Paphlagon (1034-1041) renovated the well-known monastery of Saints Kosmas and Damianos near the walls of Constantinople at the quarter of Blachernai, which was also called Kosmidion. Michael IV was tonsured monk at this particular monastery, where he was also buried.

7. Constantine IX

The most ambitious building program of that epoch was the complex of Saint George of Mangana, at the center of Constantinople, on the place of Byzantium’s ancient citadel, which was erected by the emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (1042-1055) at the beginning of his reign. Besides a most beautiful church and a monastery, inside the complex of Mangana, run by a populous administrative mechanism, were also situated public philanthropic hostels and institutions for the elderly and the poor.