The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-05
UNEARTHED IN GREECE.
A Madonna said 10 Have Been Paint
ed by ST. Luke.
From tho washington Star

From the Washington Star.
Patras. Greece. Sept. 15-After the
Turks were expelled from Greece paint
ing which had been buried several hun
dred years by devout Greek priests. and
whose hiding place had beer kept secret
for generations, was dug up II had been
buried in a hill in Palras, which com
mands a fine view of the sea- the noun
tains. and the luxurlant vineyards Of the
Peleponessus on this hill was erected
a splendid church called Pendanassa Ger
Sarappa) or the Church of the Five Wise
virgins The suppostion is that the Sc
cret of the burial place Of the valuable
painting had been handed down through
five nuns. who controlled their tongues 80
well the Turks nor any one else ever sus-
pected the existence Of the picture.
The church was named in their honor
throughout Greece 1t Is believed that this
Madonna was painted by st. Luke, who
with St Andrew and St. Paul. certainly
sDent a great deal of time in this part OF
Hellas. Moreover, it Is claimed that 81.
Luke made three copies of this Madonna,
and paintings similar to it are m the
monastery of Magaspeleon and In con-
vent at Odessa The fourth is in the sea,
for when It was being conveyed to place
of safety by the Greeks, to be buried in
the mountains across the Gulf Of Patras,
the Turks heard about II and chased the
boat They were about to oyertake the
Greeks, when the captain and the priest
in charge Of the painting threw 1t into the
sea to prevent its capture by the Moham-
medans.
visited the Church Of the Five Wise
Virgins to have a photograph of this
Madonna taken, but found it impossible
to do so. The painting, excepting, the
heads of the mother and child, Is encased
in a thin coating of silver TO preserve II.
SO the reader will have to be content with
the best pen-picture l can draw. The col
ors have faded until the Madonna and
Chnd' look as dark as Moors, but there
is wonderful strength and beauty In the
features Of both.
The duplicates of this Madonna. now
preserved al Megaspeleon and Odessa, are
said to be equally good. And the one
which was tossed into the sea. hundreds
of years ago, has not been forgotten. EY
cry time incense Is offered in the Church
at Pondanassa the censor Is swung to-
ward the sea to watt a benediction to the
Madonna and Child thrown overheard
centuries agol The main aisle of the
church looks out on the blue waters Of
the gulf and commands a splendid view of
the mountains beyond. / have asked a
number Of educated Greeks IL they really
believed ST. Luke painted these pictures,
and they always replied In the afflrma-
tive.
They are as firmly convinced Of II as they
are that Praxiteles sculptured the beauti-
full Hermes at Olympia. In this land of an
tiquitles the Christian era is not regarded
as so long ago, and have handled dolls
(nade of clay for Greek children) that are
over two thousand years old. And l have
stood in front Of splendid marble statues
that were ancient before Christ was born:
so / am not disposed to be entirely skep-
tical when a cultured Greek tells me the
Madonna / have briefly described was
painted in the year 70 A. d. 1t may be
true, and ST. Luke may be the artist.
Across the gulf from Patras Is Missil-
onghi. where Lord Byron fought with the
Greeks for liberty. His heart was taken
out and buried in Missilonghi, and his body
was emblamed and sent to England. A
simple monument marks the place. and
every year Americans, Englishmen, and
Greeks made pigrimages to the historic
spot. Its location Is picturesque In the ex-
trene IT is ia low swampy ground, but Is
backed by fine mountains, and looks out
on one SIDE toward the Ionian sea and on
the other over Gulf Of Patras. The malaria
from the lowlands Of Missilonghi proba-
bly, had more 70 do with killing Lord Byron
than the exertion Of organizing the Greek