Culture: Portrait of the last Byzantine Emperor - Constantine XI Palaiologos / Κωνσταντίνου ΙΑ’ Παλαιολόγου
26.12.2024
A portrait of the final Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palailogos, has been discovered by archaeologists in Greece. The portrait was found on a mid-15th century fresco uncovered at a monastery in Aigialeia in the Achaea region of Western Greece.
Constantine XI Palaiologos ruled the Byzantine Empire for a short period between January 6, 1449 and May 29, 1453, dying in battle during the fall of Constantinople, when the capital was captured by the Ottomans. The Byzantine Empire had been steadily losing land since the 7th century and vanished entirely after the battle in 1453. The painting is the last known portrait of any Byzantine emperor created during their reign.
Constantine XI Palaiologos ruled the Byzantine Empire for a short period between January 6, 1449 and May 29, 1453, dying in battle during the fall of Constantinople, when the capital was captured by the Ottomans. The Byzantine Empire had been steadily losing land since the 7th century and vanished entirely after the battle in 1453. The painting is the last known portrait of any Byzantine emperor created during their reign.