Beschreibung:

Vittorio Amedeo Preziosi (Maltese, 1816-1882)Two views in Mount Athos, Greece depicting the Monastery Dionysiou and the Monastery of Agios Pavlos (St Paul), a pair one signed and dated 'Preziosi 1852' (lower left); the other signed and dated 'Preziosi/1852' (lower left) watercolour with scratching out the first 24.8 x 34cm (9 3/4 x 13 3/8in); the other 25.1 x 34.3cm (9 7/8 x 13 1/2in). (2)FootnotesThe Monastery of Dionysiou was founded in the fourteenth century by Saint Dionysios of Korseos in a village near Kastoria and was dedicated to St John the Baptist. It is thought that St John the Baptist's right hand is among one of the treasures found within the monastery. Fire damage in 1535 resulted in the monastery having to be rebuilt, however, since then the architecture and buildings remain unaltered. Founded in the late tenth to early eleventh century by Saint Paul of Xeropoamou, the Monastery of Agios Pavlos was initially dedicated to Saint George, however, today to Christ the Savior. Among the monastery's possessions, are countless portable icons, heirlooms, holy relics and liturgical vessels. The library within the monastery contains 495 manuscripts and 12,500 printed books. We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.