Page 87 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(2) (2024)

87

Figure 2: The Holy Mountain Counsel in Karyes (De Vogüé 1878, between p. XII and p.1.)

A journey to Mount Athos offers an en- Visual Impressions
counter with a vibrant past. Diehl’s reflections Charles Diehl, a noted Byzantinist, articulates
resonate with De Vogüé’s assertion that travel- the essence of monastic life by focusing on the
ling to Athos entails an attempt ‘to search mem- katholikon, or central church, describing its pro- Perceptions of a ‘Journey to the Past’ in Some Viatical Stories at Mount Athos
ories and to ask with confidence to contempo- found atmosphere: ‘And the effect is even more
3
rary Orientals a living lesson of the past’ (De striking in the already dark church, where the
Vogüé 1894, 255), essentially in the Magazine Le candles cast an uncertain and flickering light:
Tour du Monde. For De Vogüé, the Orient of in the mysterious half-light, reflections light up
his era is populated by ‘faithful guardians of old in the large copper chandeliers; lightning flashes
4
historical deposits’ (De Vogüé 1894, 255), un- from the gilding of goldwork and icons; on the
derscoring the enduring significance of this pil- walls decorated with ancient paintings and mo-
grimage for understanding historical continuity saics, figures, appearing at the end of a candle,
and cultural heritage. suddenly emerge from the darkness, strange, al-
most alive in this unexpected lighting, and then
suddenly re-enter the night; and sumptuous fab-
rics, exposed behind the iconostasis, take on
shimmering and tender reflections in the falling
itée autrefois la plus sauvage, le moyen âge grec n’avait laissé daylight; and it is good to forget yourself there,
une des plus extraordinaires créations.’ in the high choir stalls, in the calm of the dark
3 ‘Chercher des souvenirs et demander avec confiance aux
Orientaux contemporains la leçon vivante du passé’
4 ‘fidèles gardiens des vieux dépôts historiques’