The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
UNEARTHED IN GREECE
A Madonna Said to Have Been Painted by
81. Observation-Disclosures OF Byron.

81. 1suke-t emtnibcenceu OIL byron.
From the Washington Erenino Star.
PATRAs, Greece, Sept. l5.-After the Turks
were expelled from Greece q painting which
had been buried several hundred years by de-
vout Greek priests. and whose hiding place had
been kept secret for generations, was dug up.
1t had been buried In a hill In Patras. which
mi a fine view OF the sea, the mountains,
and the luxuriant vineyards OF the Pelepones-
sus. On this hill was erected II splendid church
called Pendanassa Ter Sarappa). or the Church
of the Five Wise Virgins. The supposition is
that the secret of the burial place OF the valua-
BILE painting had been handed down through
five nuns, who controlled their tongues SO we'll
the Turks nor any one else ever suspected the
existence OF the picture.
The church was named in their honor.
Throughout Greece II is believed that this Ma
donna was painted by 81. Luke. who. with ST.
Andrew and ST. Paul. certainly spent n great
It Is claimed that st. Luke made ,hree copies OF
this Madonna. and PAINTINGS similar to 1t are in
the monastery OF MAgaSptleOn and In n convent
at Odessa. The fourth is in the sea. for when it
was being conveyed to a place OF safety by tho
Gtnlt OF Tatrns. the Turks heard about STtG Il and
the Greeks, wnen the Captain and tho priest in
prevent It's capture by the Mohammedans.
visited the Church of the Five Wise Virgins
but found il impossible 10 do so. The painting.
excepting, the heads Of the mother and Child, is
cuchHtu III " tiIn COhtInk VI NllNtT ~ pTfeoTfe u.
so the reader will have to be content with tho
best pen picture can draw. The colors have
dark as Moors. but there is wonderful strength
and beauty In the features Of both.
The dIpl Gates Of this H9ndonns' now Gre.
be equally good. And the one which was tossed
into the sea, hundreds Of years ago. has not
in the Church OF Psndnnassa the censor is
SWING toward the sea to watt n benediGtion to
turtles age! The main aisle Of the church looks
out on the blue waters Of the gulf and COM
mands a .plendid. view of the mountains be-
You'd. | have asked n number OF educated
creeks IL they really believed St. Luke painted
these pictures. and they always replied in the
They are a. firmly CONVINCED of it as they are
that Praxiteles scuiptured the beautiful Hermes
Christian era IL not regarded rs 40 long ago, and
have handled dolls made OF clay for Greek
children that IRE over two thousand years old.
And ] have stood in front Of splendid marble
statues that were ancient before Christ was
teal when a cultured Greek tells mo tho Ma
donna | have briefly described WAS painted in
the year 70 A. p, 1t may bo true, and st. Luke
Across the gulf from Patras is Missilonghi,
where Lord Byron fought with tho GteeSs for
Missilonghi. and his body WAS embalmed and
sent TO England. A simple monument marks
the place. and every year Americana, English
men. and Greeks make pilgrimageS TO the his
toric spot. Its location is picturesque In the
backed 6v line mountains. and looks out on one
side toward the Ionian Sea and on the other
over the Gulf OF Patras. The malaria from tho
lowlRnds OF Missilonghi probably had more to
do with killing Lord Byron than The ~eyertion of
organizing the Greek army TO repel the Turks.
TO whom he addressed one OF the best known OF
his poems.
Tie reading world believes Zoe was q Maid
OF Athens" She was not. She was horn and
bred in Ali,silonghi, married "A Greek from tho
interior not far from LepApto. and afterward
moved 10 Athens. Here she lived TO be a very
old woman and retained TO the last traces or tho
beauty which charmed the eccentric hut highly
gifted English nOhltmau. | met a number OF
people who knew Xoc well. and every one agrees
that she WAS very beautiful. Moreover, IL il
said that she preserved TO the day OF her death
the autograph letters written her by Lord
Byron and handed them down as heirlooms "
her children, who now live In Athens.