Chrysotriklinos "Golden reception hall" - Byzantine throne room

[Coemgenn]

Summary and history

The name Chrysotriklinos means "Golden reception hall", due to its extensive decoration and gold mosaic.
Constructed at the end of the 6th century. The decorations were destroyed during iconoclasm and the building was re-decorated 840-880. It combined the functions of throne room for reception and audiences with those of a banquet hall In particular, according to the De Ceremoniis, the Chrysotriklinos served for the reception of foreign embassies, the ceremonial conferring of dignities, as an assembly point for religious festivals and a banquet hall for special feasts, like Easter.[5]

Structure

The hall was an octagonal shape crowned by a dome. The roof was supported by 8 arches, which formed 8 kamarai (apses or niches) and pierced by 16 windows. The element on the Eastern side is more precisely called a κόγχη, or apse, whereas the other seven sides are always referred to as kamãrai or b∞la, that is, curtains, by which they were shut off from the central space. There were sixteen window vaults in a central dome, and also small windows glazed with alabaster set high up in the side vaults, whose light would have passed into the central space through openings, presumably arches, above the curtains which shut off the side vaults at floor level. There were no proper windows in its side galleries but only doors opening into adjacent structures.

We do not know the exact details of how it looked, hence different authors have provided slightly different models. These are a but confusing, I recommend checking the Google view 360 of the Churches of Saint Segius and San Vitale to get a better idea of the space.
Google view 360º of St Sergius
Google view 360º of San Vitale

Dimensions: while we don't have known dimensions, the sources I saw estimate the size and it's a bit larger than the Aachen chapel and the Vitale and Sergio examples below.

reconstruction by Ebersol

Plan by Maria Parani. She notes the location of adjacent rooms and buildings. συρτὸν βῆλον means Drawn curtain through which the courtiers entered the room. Courtains were used on all sides except in the apse.

Westbrook 2013. The throne was in the Apse at the top. This one also has dimensions.

From Walter Boeckelmann.

Ilustración de Antoine Helbert. This image misght have some liberties to it, and I am not sure how accurate it is about the windows, since some sources mention no windows on the bottom ground.

Existing similar buildings

The Church of Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople and the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna were built in a very similar manner and can be used as inspiration. All sources talk about these two, so it's likely they are very similar to the original Chrysotriklinos. In both of these, you can see the Apse on one side, which is where the throne was.

Saint Sergius and Bacchus
Google view 360º

San Vitale
Google view 360º

Decorations

Curtains

All the side vaults except the Eastern apse were shut off from the central space of the Chrysotriklinos by curtains. The curtains on the Western side could be drawn back in the middle, and it was through them that one was admitted into the Chrysotriklinos for an audience with the emperor sitting opposite in the Eastern apse. On other occasions when the emperor was not sitting on the throne, imperial officials and guests could walk straight through the Chrysotriklinos, going in the Western doors and out other doors on the Eastern side, evidently in the Eastern apse, which gave on to a terrace. These doors, like those of the Western entrance, were of silver.

Color and textiles of the curtains
The curtains of the Chrysotriklinos, the principal throne room and audience hall also in the lower palace, were reddish purple in colour (τὰ ὀξέα βῆλα τοῦ χρυσοτρικλίνου) and at least some bore figural decorations of griffins and wild asses (τὰ ὀξέα βῆλα τοῦ χρυσοτρικλίνου, οἱ γρυπόναγροι). In another instance, the curtains of the Chrysotriklinos are described as woven with gold (καλλωπίζεται ὁ τῆς αὐγούστης κοιτὼν μετὰ τῶν χρυσοϋφάντων βήλων τοῦ χρυσοτρικλίνου). It is possible that these constituted a different set of curtains, distinct from the red-purple ones, meant for use on special occasions. Indeed, elsewhere in the text there is explicit reference to ‘the golden curtains of Easter’ (τὰ χρυσᾶ τοῦ Πάσχα βῆλα), though it is unclear where exactly these were suspended, whether at the church of the Virgin of the Pharos, where the emperor attended the evening service on Holy Saturday, or at the Chrysotriklinos, as Albert Vogt suggests. From Mediating presence: curtains in Middle and Late Byzantine imperial ceremonial and portraiture

Walls and decorations

The decoration was typicially Byzantine, with gold and mosaics. Theophanes Continuatus describes ‘imitating the colours of freshly-opened flowers’. (Mosaics in the Medieval World)

This building has not survived and so its mosaics are lost. However, some mosaics are mentioned in an epigram contained in the Anthologia Graeca, a collection of 3,700 epigrams compiled in the tenth-century. Above the imperial throne was placed an image of enthroned Christ (this one was likely similar to the one in Hagia Sohpia), while an image over the entrance depicted the Virgin Mary, with images of the Emperor and the Patriarch nearby. Elsewhere in the mosaics were depicted angels, priests, apostles and martyrs.

For a reference of styles, mosaics from the Byzantine area, see Byzantine mosaics. In particular the [Basilica of San Vitale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Vitale), the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Arian Baptistry, the Neonian Baptistry, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Basilica Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Monreale Cathedral mosaics, Cappella Palatina.

The lower part of the hall was likely in marble, with the top half and ceiling in mosaics. Here is a rendition of the Church of St Sergius and Bacchus at the Byzantine times.

Images from Antoine Helbert about other parts of the Byzantine Palace, ideas for interior decoration.

Cornice and Inscription

Theophanes Continuatus describes a silver antux (probably a cornice/trim) that went around the interior of the building and states was installed by Constantine VII. This is probably similar to the ones seen in St Sergius and Bacchus

In addition to the De Ceremoniis, what is known about the 9th century decoration comes from an inscription that was found inside the hall and transcribed in the Greek Antholoy 1.106. The inscription was somewhere in the room, likely going around the hall (like the Latin one in the Aachen chapel).
The inscriptions could be placed in the cornix/trim

Text:
ΕΛΑΜΨΕΝ ΑΚΤΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΗΣ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΣ ΚΟΡΑΣ ΗΜΒΛΥΝΕ ΤΩΝ ΨΕΥΔΗΓΟΡΩΝ ΗΥΞΗΣΕΝ ΕΥΣΕΒΕΙΑ ΠΕΠΤΩΚΕ ΠΛΑΝΗ ΚΑΙ ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΑΝΘΕΙ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΑΤΎΝΕΤΑΙ ΧΑΡΙΣ ΙΔΟΥ ΓΑΡ ΑΥΘΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΙΚΟΝΙΣΜΕΝΟΣ ΛΑΜΠΕΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΥΨΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΘΕΔΡΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΑΤΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΣ ΣΚΟΤΕΙΝΑΣ ΑΙΡΕΣΕΙΣ ΑΝΑΤΡΕΠΕΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΥ Δ᾽ΥΠΕΡΘΕΝ ΩΣ ΘΕΙΑ ΠΥΛΗ ΣΤΗΛΟΓΡΑΦΕΙΤΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΦΥΛΑΞ Η ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟΣ ΑΝΑΞ ΔΕ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΕΔΡΟΣ ΩΣ ΠΛΑΝΟΤΡΟΠΟΙ ΣῪΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΣΥΝΕΡΓΟΙΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΠΛΗΣΙΟΝ ΚΎΚΛΩΙ ΔΕ ΠΑΝΤΟΣ ΟΙΑ ΦΡΟΥΡΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΔΟΜΟΥ ΝΟΕΣ ΜΑΘΗΤΑΙ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ ΘΥΗΠΟΛΟΙ ΟΘΕΝ ΚΑΛΟΥΜΕΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΤΡΙΚΛΙΝΟΝ ΝΕΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΙΝ ΛΑΧΟΝΤΑ ΚΛΗΣΕΩΣ ΧΡΥΣΩΝΥΜΟΥ ΩΣ ΤΟΝ ΘΡΟΝΟΝ ΕΧΟΝΤΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΔΕ ΜΗΤΡΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΚΗΡΥΚΩΝ ΤΥΠΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΣΟΦΟΥΡΓΟΥ ΜΙΧΑΗΛ ΤΗΝ ΕΙΚΟΝΑ

Translation:
‘A ray of truth has shone forth again and blinded the eyes of the false teachers. Piety has increased and error has fallen: faith is flourishing and grace is spreading. Look: Christ, pictured again, shines above the imperial throne and banishes dark heresies. Above the entrance, like a holy door, the Virgin stands guard, inscribed on a tablet. The sovereign and the patriarch, as banishers of error, are represented nearby with their fellow workers, and all around as sentries of the house are spirits, disciples, martyrs, priests; thus we now call the ‘hall of Christ’ that which formerly took its name from the word ‘gold’, since it has the throne of Christ the lord and the mother of Christ, and the images of the heralds of Christ, and of Michael whose works are wisdom. Both emperor and patriarch were portrayed in the Chrysotriklinos mosaics.

Throne

The imperial throne was placed on the eastern apse on (the bēma), behind a bronze railing. The Bema is was an elevated platform. This elevated section can be seen in both San Vitale and St Sergius and Bacchus. The style of throne could be like the one represented in mosaics.

Tour of the models used for the CFP build:

We know little about the decoration of the hall, since no remains survive and only a few descriptions exist. The few things we know for certain are the image of Christ on the throne in the apse, and we know there were depicitons of angels, apsotles, patriarchs and more. But the style, placement, and numbers were an aducted guess on our part. Here, we show the original Byzantine and medieval models we used as inspiration.

We know that above the imperial throne was placed an image of enthroned Christ. This was meant to create a strong parallelism between Christ on his throne and the Emperor on his throne below,reinfrocing the idea of the Emperor as Christ's representative. The model image we chose ifor this room was the Empress Zoe mosaic from Hagia Sophia.

The semi dome above the apse contains a cross. This was an educated guess, since we did not have any sources talking about what was in this space. The model image we chose ifor this spot comes from Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, a Byzantine church in Ravenna, Italy.

The angels, apostles, evanglesists, the angus dei and other religious figures in the walls and ceiling of the apse were taken from various sources as inspiration, including the apse mosaic of [Santa Prassede](Santa Prassede) in Rome and St. Johannis in Soltau (for the angus dei image). While we know that the hall featured images of such religious figures, the placement in the apse and the style was an aducated guess on our part.

The peacock mosaic on the walls of the apse was taken from the Byzantine church in Nahariya. This model was also an educated guess, since we know that the mosaics, like often in Byzantine art, had natural themes to them, but we do not know the details.

The seraphim angels in the pendentives was taken from the one in Hagia Sophia.

The image of the patriarch in the semi-domes in the main space were taken from traditional orthodox icon. The patriarch depicted is wearing a polystavrion phelonion.

The ceiling hosts an image of Christ Pantocrator.

SOURCES

Mosaics in the Medieval World From Late Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century , pp. 120 - 144
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511997693.007

Westbrook, Nigel. (2013). Syncretic symbolism and ritual movement in the Chrysotriklinos of the Byzantine Emperors. Architectura - Zeitschrift fur Geschichte der Baukunst. 43. 129-146.

Walter Boeckelmann, Von den Ursprüngen der Aachener Pfalzkapelle. 1958

J. M. Featherstone, The Chrysotriklinos Seen Through De Cerimoniis, in: L. Hoffmann (ed.), Zwischen Polis, Provinz und Peripherie. Beiträge zur byzantinischen Geschichte
und Kultur (2005), 845-852.

Featherstone, Michael J.. (2006)  “The Great Palace as Reflected in the De Cerimoniis” in Franz Bauer (ed.), Visualisierungen von Herrschaft. Frühmittelalterliche Residenzen: Gestalt und Zeremoniell. Internationales Kolloquium 3./4. Juni 2004 in Istanbul, Byzas 5 (Istanbul 2006), pp. 47-61;

Featherstone, Michael J.. (2005) - The Chrysotriklinos Seen through "De Cerimoniis". In: Zwischen Polis, Provinz und Peripherie. Beiträge zur byzantinischen Geschichte und Kultur p. 845-852

Jeffrey Michael Featherstone, “The Great Palace as Reflected in the De Cerimoniis” in Franz Bauer (ed.), Visualisierungen von Herrschaft. Frühmittelalterliche Residenzen: Gestalt und Zeremoniell. Internationales Kolloquium 3./4. Juni 2004 in Istanbul, Byzas 5 (Istanbul 2006), pp. 47-61;

Parani, M. (2018). Mediating presence: Curtains in Middle and Late Byzantine imperial ceremonial and portraiture. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 42(1), 1-25. doi:10.1017/byz.2017.33

Laurent J. Jean Ebersolt. Le grand palais de Constantinople et le livre des Cérémonies, avec un avant-propos de Charles Diehl et un plan de Adolphe Thiers. In: Revue des Études Grecques, tome 24, fascicule 108-109,1911. pp. 346-348.

Churchill, N. (2016). Depictions of power in the imperial art of the early Macedonian Emperors: Basil I, Leo VI and Alexander.

Featherstone, M. (2013). Luxury in the Palace: the Buildings of Theophilus. Istanbul Arastirmalari Yilligi [Annual Journal of the Kiraç Istanbul Research Institute] 2, 33–40.

Michael Featherstone, Jean-Michel Spieser, Gülru Tanman and Ulrike Wulf-Rheidt (Eds.), The emperor’s house. Palaces from Augustus to the age of absolutism, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2015

Nigel Westbrook “lux sacra palatia conplet, lux urbis et orbis.”
In Proceedings of the Society of Architectural Historians,
Australia and New Zealand: 33, Gold, edited by AnnMarie
Brennan and Philip Goad, 710-718. Melbourne: SAHANZ,
2016.