A lot of post-byzantine portal icons are situated in churches and monasteries, diversed in villages in the whole area of the Prefecture of Ioannina. A large scale of the icons are signed by painters, who travelled around, covering the geographical section of the present day Epirus and Albania. Unfortunately, in the last decades may churches in villages were robbed. As a result a lot of icons were lost for ever. An other problem is that of the restoration of these objects.
In this programme our aim is to make catalogues of the icons, coming from as many churches is possible. We want to employ archaelogists, in order to record accurately and digitize icons. Except the procession of documentation and digitization, we would like to publish an archaelogical guide of icons from the region of Ioannina. The documentation and the study of the icons will offer contribution to the artistic and social history of Epirus during the period of ottoman occupation, revealing the relationships among painters, who were active in the geographical area from Zagori and Pogoni to Berati and Koritsa. The work will provide infromation about common cultural heritage. Through the employment of the restorers, in the frame of the programme, we want to achieve the preservation of a great number of assets.
This schedule aims to
a) the documentation of portable icons, in order to create data bases, with long-term aim to cope with illicit dealing with antiquities
b) restore portable icons and preserve cultural heritage of local communities
c) demonstrate the relationship between the two countries.
In the frame of the programme the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina wants to focus on documentation and the restoring of icons.
