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.
The Constantine XI Palaiologos fresco. Photo courtesy of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
In the portrait, the emperor appears wearing regalia adorned with crowned double-headed eagles. These were symbols of the Palaiologos dynasty, which was the longest-ruling of the Byzantine Empire. It produced emperors and leaders for just shy of 200 years, between the 13th and 15th centuries.
He is also wearing a bejeweled crown and holding a cruciform scepter. His purple cloak would have been dyed from the liquid produced from the glands of the Bolinus brandaris sea snail, which was incredibly expensive and so was reserved for use only by royalty (said to be “born in purple”) during the Byzantine Empire. Following the fall of Constantinople, the harvesting farms of the snails were destroyed by the Ottoman Turks, but the association of purple with royalty lives on.
The Constantine XI Palaiologos fresco. Photo courtesy of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The fresco is believed to be the work of an artist from Mystras, a town south of the Aigialeian monastery, where a young Constantine lived and ruled for five years before his ascension to emperor. The Holy Monastery of Pammegiston Taxiarchon had once been the recipient of significant financial donations from Constantine’s brothers. It was during recent restoration of the monastery that the fresco containing the portrait of the Byzantine emperor was discovered.
The Constantine XI Palaiologos fresco. Photo courtesy of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The Greek Minister for Culture, Lina Mendoni, called the portrait “the only known depiction” of Constantine XI Palaiologos “created during his lifetime.” His short rule meant that few portraits of him have been discovered. Mendoni added that “the artist likely painted the emperor’s features from direct observation, rather than relying on an official imperial portrait, as was customary.”
In a statement, the Greek Ministry of Culture referenced the “authenticity” of the portrait, which “accurately renders the physiognomic features of the last Byzantine emperor.” It describes the likeness, calling the portrait a depiction of “an earthly figure, a mature man, with a delicate face and individualized features, who exudes calm and nobility.”