Spolia: The stones tell their own story

Text: Avgi Kalogianni | Photos: Natasa Biza, Konstantinos Mavris

NATASA BIZA: CHANGING PLACES / A STONE STORY

Spolia (Latin, “spoils”; sg.: spolium) are stones taken from an old structure and repurposed for new construction or decorative purposes.

Though not particularly big, Parikia has a long history dating back as far as 5000 years ago as it was built upon the ruins of the ancient city and largely out of their material. Its main and most emblematic monument, the so-called Frankish Castle, is a medieval tower constructed exclusively out of neatly fitted together spolia.

The visual artist Natassa Biza started photographing them in 2017, and, in 2022, she presented them in an exhibition entitled “Changing Places / A stone story” featured in Paros Festival. In a town like Parikia, brimming with spolia, their documentation takes time that extends into what seems to be a never-ending process.

This surveying, which is still underway, is therefore a great project of significant artistic and scientific value. “For me, the city is a vast archive, a secret archive in public view”, the artist told us in a conversation we had with her.

“I’ve been documenting the spolia that are embedded in the residences of the town since 2017 – but more systematically so since 2018. When they started to accumulate in large numbers, by which I mean a hundred, I decided to inform the Archaeological Service as I thought that they might have already been recorded and that my project was a mere repetition. So I got permission from the Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities and tried to build an archive.

I began to record, in my own way, the spolia I spotted, but then I got in touch with the archaeologist Ismene Trianti who corrected and supplemented the records I had made. From then on, I began to document them in the way archaeologists work: by type, dimensions, location, material, and state of preservation. Ms. Trianti was mainly interested in the fragments that depicted human figures. I also collaborated with the archaeologist Maria Georgiadou at the Paros Museum who was of much help to me. Kostantinos Mavris also participated in the photo shoots taking many of the photos.

I went on recording spolia from church sanctuaries because I’d decided to include small churches as well. Nearly all church sanctuaries at Parikia are built with ancient fragments. I really liked how a chapiter would be used to build an altar, often with the addition of another one so as to reach the desired height.

I could see a remain of an ancient shrine, say a lintel, becoming a step. I think this has to do with humility. This is what fascinates me, as does the concept of second chances, sometimes third or fourth. I appreciate this relationship with ancient heritage, which is quite matter-of-fact rather than reverent. One would simply see a stone in the right shape and go about to use it.

It’s an ongoing project; you keep discovering yet another piece you’d never seen before. So far, I’ve recorded the settlement and all the small churches. There are many fragments embedded in the National Bank building. While it was being built, a lot of spolia were found that went on to be built into the structure. I’d recorded around 180, and, by now, another 100 have been added. Some have inscriptions on them and are well-known, such as the last in a series of steps leading to the Dimitrakopoulos Residence, on which archaeologist Zozi Papadopoulou has made a publication.

I’d like see that the most be made of the ones spotted so far. Holding a guided tour focusing on spolia like the one we did with tourist guide Georgia Papadopoulou during the festival in the summer 2022.”