Fresco from the sanctuary (middle chamber) of the Enkleistra of Saint Neophytos in Tala, Paphos. It depicts Saint Neophytos in prayer between the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The wings of the angels, the left wing of Archangel Michael and the right wing of Archangel Gabriel respectively, cross behind Saint Neophytos, giving the impression that he too has been given wings. It is worth noting that this full-length portrait of the Saint was used as a reference for the creation of the saint’s avatar, which was developed by MiraLab at the University of Geneva.The distinctive colours of the Saint’s garments reflect his belief that his clothing should preserve the natural colours of the threads, without any chromatic processing, as he considered even this to be a form of luxury. The fresco dates to 1183 and was painted by the Byzantine artist Theodoros Apsevdis, who signed the painted ensemble. His signature appears in the Saint’s cell.
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Saint Neophytos

The saint and his legacy

Who was Saint Neophytos of Cyprus and what were his teachings?

av
Maria Paphiti (Cyprus University of Technology)

A Catalan translation of this post is available following the English text.

Saint Neophytos the Recluse, also known as Saint Neophytos of Cyprus, lived as a hermit and left a vast theological and cultural imprint on the history of his homeland and the Orthodox world at large.

The life of Saint Neophytos

Saint Neophytos was born in 1134 at the village of Kato Drys, near Lefkara, in the Larnaca district of Cyprus. His baptismal name is not confirmed by the sources; nevertheless, he is never referred to by any other name, even before entering the monastic life. The name Neophytos derives from the Greek word neophyte, meaning a newly baptised or newly initiated person, and carries significant religious symbolism. In his writing The Typikon of the Enkleistra, he mentioned that his parents owned a modest landed property and that he was one of the family’s eight children.

A large, 15th century icon, made of egg tempera and gold on wood, showing St. Neophytos with grey hair and a beard, dressed in monastic garments, holding a cross and displaying an inscribed scroll. He is standing on a green ground inscribed with a dense text in calligraphic Greek majuscule, pertaining to the dedication of the icon. The name of the saint is written with red letters in Greek majuscule on the gold background, the latter extending on the raised border with a red band running along its edge. The icon is exhibited in the museum of the Monastery of St. Neophytos, which is opposite the Enkleistra.

He also stated that his parents expected him to engage in agricultural work and, for this reason, did not send him to be educated by a teacher in the nearby village of Lefkara. He often complained that they had left him illiterate. After he became engaged, he fled to the Monastery of Saint John of Koutsoventis, an act that was considered a disgrace for both families. His relatives located him and, by force, brought him back home. He then struggled to persuade his family members to dissolve the engagement and, once he finally succeeded, in 1152, he returned once again to the monastery, where this time the abbot immediately tonsured him as a monk, because, he 'overcame the love of his relatives for the love of God.'

However, he felt that life in the monastery was busy and spiritually distracting. He desired a more secluded form of ascetic practice and therefore asked the abbot for permission to travel to the Holy Lands, where he spent six months. Subsequently, after returning to Cyprus, in his search for the solitude he longed for, he wandered across the island and eventually settled in a natural cave in Paphos, which was to become his hermitage.

Saint Neophytos dug the existing rock cave deeper and had it decorated with frescoes by skilled artists according to his own will, including portraits of himself from life. It was there that he lived the rest of his life, there that he wrote his substantial corpus of work - approximately 30-40 pieces of writing - and there that he was eventually buried when he died sometime after 1214.

The frescoed cave of Saint Neophytos, the Enkleistra, which literally means 'place of enclosure,' formed the core of a community of disciples who, for 350 years, lived in the caves and, in 1503, built the great church and constructed the new monastery opposite the Enkleistra. The monastery continues to flourish to this day, preserving the relics of the Saint as well as a small portion of the manuscript he himself wrote.

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What is the legacy of Saint Neophytos?

Saint Neophytos was a pivotal figure of the 12th and early 13th century Byzantine and then Frankish Cyprus. Through his writings, his enkleistra and his disciples, Neophytos left a vast intellectual, social, theological and cultural imprint on the history of Cyprus.

His writings, including the Typikon of the Enkleistra, autobiographical texts, homilies and catecheses, epistles, treatises and commentaries, as well as admonitions for the monastic life, are original sources and testaments to the Byzantine world, showing how it was seen and judged from Cyprus - a peripheral outpost of the empire. They comment on the everyday life of Cypriots under different rulers and provide first-hand information about the crusades. His texts about monastic life guided other monks, influenced monastic rules and institutional formation and provide us with valuable evidence as to how the Orthodox communities functioned during his era.

Why is Saint Neophytos’ Enkleistra important?

The Enkleistra is a unique monument of Byzantine art because it combines a multitude of features, which are each quite rare in their own right.

The Saint’s cell, photographed from the east, looking towards the west. On the right is the northern side and on the left is the southern side. This was the space where, for many years, the Saint lived his life of enclosure. Covered with a red velvet cloth is his rock-cut bed, while in front the marble slabs formed the desk on which he studied. On the right, as we look at the photograph, the wall is concave and directly below it is the signature of Theodoros Apsevdis. The large fresco above depicts the Deesis, that is, the scene in which the Mother of God and Saint John the Baptist intercede and pray to Christ, while at His feet, kneeling, is Saint Neophytos. On the left is the door leading to the sanctuary. Within this space, although it is not visible, as it is located behind and to the right, is also the tomb of the Saint.

The original cave was enlarged by the Saint himself, who carved deeper into the rock, and he also dictated its decorative programme. As a result, he acted both as patron and as supervisor. The frescoes include portraits of the Saint, which, because they were painted while he was still alive, constitute important testimony to his appearance.

The first phase of the frescoes was painted by the celebrated Constantinopolitan artist, Theodoros Apsevdis. It is exceptionally rare for artists of the Comnenian period (1081-1185) to have signed their works, since Byzantine artists did not generally assert personal authorship. Instead, they regarded themselves as vehicles for the manifestation of the divine. Consequently, an artist’s signature, as is the case herewith, is of particular historical and scholarly significance.

The stone-built façade with five arches and steps leading to the Enkleistra. In his Typikon of the Enkleistra, the Saint mentions a five-arched arcade which stood in front of the refectory (20.3, lines 24–26). In 1963–64, the Cyprus Department of Antiquities reconstructed the arch of the exonarthex and extended it at the front right side up to the refectory, creating a covered corridor.

The Enkleistra included the cell in which Saint Neophytos dwelled, a chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross for prayer and, eventually, a nave for the monks’ common prayer. His cell also contained his tomb, which he had prepared himself.

The Enkleistra is intrinsically bound to the Saint’s entire life - a testament of his earthly sojourn from the moment he arrived there until his repose. This makes it important and relevant not merely to his homeland of Cyprus but to Orthodoxy at large, as well as to the world’s collective cultural heritage, too.

Recreating St Neophytos’ Enkleistra in 3D

The EUreka3D-XR project is in the process of recreating Saint Neophytos’ Enkleistra as a virtual experience which will include the first-ever recording of the liturgy that is held on the Saint’s feast day and celebrated only twice a year.

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Sant Neòfit: El sant i el seu llegat

Qui va ser Sant Neòfit de Xipre i quins van ser els seus ensenyaments?

Sant Neòfit està representat entre els arcàngels Miquel i Gabriel, que el sostenen per les espatlles i les seves ales es creuen a l'esquena, donant la impressió que també és un àngel.

Sant Neòfit l'Ermità, també conegut com a Sant Neòfit de Xipre, va viure com a ermità i va deixar una vasta empremta teològica i cultural en la història de la seva pàtria i del món ortodox en general.

La vida de Sant Neòfit

Sant Neòfit va néixer el 1134 al poble de Kato Drys, prop de Lefkara, al districte de Larnaca, a Xipre. El seu nom de bateig era Neòfit, derivat de la paraula neòfit que significa “el recentment batejat”. Tot i que els monjos solen canviar el nom que tenien abans de la tonsura, Neòfit no ho va fer. Va conservar el nom que li van donar al baptisme, que estava carregat d'un important simbolisme religiós. En el seu escrit El Típic de l'Enkleistra, va esmentar que els seus pares eren pobres, d'origen rural i que ell era el més petit de vuit fills.

A large, 15th century icon, made of egg tempera and gold on wood, showing St. Neophytos with grey hair and a beard, dressed in monastic garments, holding a cross and displaying an inscribed scroll. He is standing on a green ground inscribed with a dense text in calligraphic Greek majuscule, pertaining to the dedication of the icon. The name of the saint is written with red letters in Greek majuscule on the gold background, the latter extending on the raised border with a red band running along its edge. The icon is exhibited in the museum of the Monastery of St. Neophytos, which is opposite the Enkleistra.

També va declarar que els seus pares esperaven que comencés a treballar en l'agricultura i que s'oposaven fermament al seu desig de convertir-se en monjo. Per tant, el seu primer intent d'unir-se a un monestir, concretament el de Sant Joan Crisòstom prop de Koutsoventis, va fracassar i va tornar amb la seva família.

El 1152, va aconseguir fugir al monestir de Kykkos, on va ser rebut com a novici i poc després va ser tonsurat com a monjo. Tanmateix, sentia que la vida al monestir era atrafegada i espiritualment distreient. Anhelava un estil d'ascetisme més aïllat, i per això va demanar permís a l'hegumen (cap d'un monestir masculí) per viatjar a Terra Santa, però la seva sol·licitud va ser denegada.

Posteriorment, a la recerca de la solitud que anhelava, va vagar per l'illa i finalment es va establir en una cova natural a Pafos, que estava destinada a convertir-se en la seva ermita.

Sant Neòfit va excavar més a fons la cova de roca existent i la va decorar amb frescos d'artistes hàbils segons la seva pròpia voluntat, incloent-hi retrats de la seva vida. Va ser allà on va viure la resta de la seva vida, allà on va escriure la seva substancial obra (aproximadament 30-40 escrits) i allà on va ser finalment enterrat quan va morir el 1214.

La cova pintada de Sant Neòfit —l'enkleistra, que literalment significa "lloc de clausura"— va formar el nucli d'una comunitat de deixebles que al segle XIII es va expandir i va donar lloc a la construcció del katholikhon (església amb baptisteri) i del monestir just al davant. El monestir s’ha mantingut fins als nostres dies i conserva les relíquies de Sant Neòfit i molts dels manuscrits que va escriure.

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Quin és el llegat de Sant Neòfit?

Sant Neòfit va ser una figura cabdal del Xipre bizantí i després franc dels segles XII i principis del XIII. A través dels seus escrits, la seva enkleistra i els seus deixebles, Neòfit va deixar una vasta empremta intel·lectual, social, teològica i cultural en la història de Xipre.

Els seus escrits, incloent-hi el Typikon de l'Enkleistra , textos autobiogràfics, homilies i catequesis, epístoles, tractats i comentaris, així com admonicions per a la vida monàstica, són fonts originals i testimonis del món bizantí, que mostren com es veia i es jutjava des de Xipre, un lloc perifèric de l'imperi. Comenten la vida quotidiana dels xipriotes sota diferents governants i proporcionen informació de primera mà sobre les croades. Els seus textos sobre la vida monàstica van guiar altres monjos, van influir en les regles monàstiques i la formació institucional i ens proporcionen proves valuoses de com funcionaven les comunitats ortodoxes durant la seva època.

Per què és important l'enkleistra de Sant Neòfit?

L'enkleistra és un monument únic de l'art bizantí perquè combina una multitud de característiques, cadascuna de les quals és força única per si mateixa.

The Saint’s cell, photographed from the east, looking towards the west. On the right is the northern side and on the left is the southern side. This was the space where, for many years, the Saint lived his life of enclosure. Covered with a red velvet cloth is his rock-cut bed, while in front the marble slabs formed the desk on which he studied. On the right, as we look at the photograph, the wall is concave and directly below it is the signature of Theodoros Apsevdis. The large fresco above depicts the Deesis, that is, the scene in which the Mother of God and Saint John the Baptist intercede and pray to Christ, while at His feet, kneeling, is Saint Neophytos. On the left is the door leading to the sanctuary. Within this space, although it is not visible, as it is located behind and to the right, is also the tomb of the Saint.

La cova va ser excavada pel mateix sant i el seu programa decoratiu també va ser dictat per ell, per la qual cosa va actuar com a mecenes i conservador. Hi ha retrats de Sant Neòfit pintats en vida, així com pòstumament.

La primera fase dels frescos va ser pintada pel cèlebre artista constantinopolità Theodoros Apsevdis. És extremadament estrany que s'anomenin els artistes del període Comnè (1081-1185), ja que els artistes bizantins no reivindicaven l'autoria de les seves creacions. En lloc d’això, es percebien a si mateixos com el mitjà de la manifestació divina.

The stone-built façade with five arches and steps leading to the Enkleistra. In his Typikon of the Enkleistra, the Saint mentions a five-arched arcade which stood in front of the refectory (20.3, lines 24–26). In 1963–64, the Cyprus Department of Antiquities reconstructed the arch of the exonarthex and extended it at the front right side up to the refectory, creating a covered corridor.

L'enkleistra incloïa la cel·la on residia Sant Neòfit, una capella dedicada a la Santa Creu per a l'oració i, finalment, una cambra per a la seva tomba, que ell mateix havia preparat.

L'enkleistra està intrínsecament lligada a tota la vida del Sant: un testimoni del seu viatge terrenal des del moment en què hi va arribar fins a la seva mort. Això la fa important i rellevant no només per a la seva pàtria, Xipre, sinó també per a l'ortodòxia en general i per al patrimoni cultural col·lectiu del món.

Recreació de l'enkleistra de Sant Neòfit en 3D

El projecte EUreka3D-XR està recreant l'enkleistra de Sant Neòfit com una experiència virtual que inclourà la primera gravació de la litúrgia que se celebra el dia de la festa del sant i que només es fa dues vegades l'any.

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