Largvisi Monastery

Largvisi Monastery
The Largvisi Monastery as of 2010
Religion
Affiliation	Georgian Orthodox Church
Location
Location	Largvisi,Akhalgori Municipality
Shown within Georgia
Geographic coordinates	42.268521°N 44.485801°E/42.268521; 44.485801
Architecture
Type	Cross-in-squarechurch
Completed	1759

TheLargvisi Monastery(Georgian:ლარგვისის მონასტერი) is a medievalGeorgian Orthodoxmonastic foundation at the village of Largvisi in theKsaniriver valley in theAkhalgori Municipality,what is now the disputed territory ofSouth Ossetia.The monastery is documented from the early 14th century. The extant church, a domedcross-in-squaredesign, dates to 1759. It was a familial abbey of theKvenipneveli dynasty,Dukes of Ksaniand one of the leading noble families of theKingdom of Kartli.

History

The 15th-century Georgian chronicle of the dukes of Ksani ascribes the foundation of the monastery to the family's legendary 6th-century ancestor Rostom, allegedly a contemporary of the Byzantine emperorJustinian.The monastery is historically better documented from the early 14th century, when generations of the dukes of Ksani made donations to it. The monastery was destroyed duringTimur's invasions of Georgiain 1400 and rebuilt and frescoed byGrigol Bandaisdze.In 1470, the monastery was further renovated by the duke Shalva, who also built a defensive wall with a bell-tower on it.Shanshe, Duke of Ksani,added further fortifications, turning it into his castle.In 1759, the church was built de novo as the Monastery of St.Theodore Tyronby the duke David and his mother Ketevan. The event is commemorated in a Georgianasomtavruliinscription of the icon of theTheotokosfrom Largvisi. This still-extant edifice, which replaced the older domeless one, had a completely new layout.

Architecture

The Largvisi Monastery sits on a slope of a hill on the confluence of the Ksani and Churta rivers. It is a domed cross-in-square church, with the dimensions of approximately 20 x 12 m. The overall plan is elongated on an east-west axis. The church is built of brick and covered with blocks of hewn stone, with four stone pillars in thenave.The dome rests upon highaislesjoining in a cross shape. The church has two, western and southern entrances.Above the western window is a sculpture carved in stone—a human right hand and tools of masonry. The defensive structures adjoining the monastery are parts of a citadel with ruined walls and towers higher on the hill.