Within the Plaka district, between Tripodon Street and the Gate of Hadrian, lies the church of Saint Catherine, founded in the 11th century. The church is situated beneath the current street level and is defined by the modern streets of Chairephontos, Galanou, and Lysikratous. In its courtyard, to the west, stand the remains of an Ionic peristyle. The preserved elements from this historical site include its southwest corner and a propylon (monumental gateway) on the southern side.
The surviving part of the peristyle consists of fragments of the two colonnades of the southwest corner. The stylobate (part of a colonnade’s base), made of Hymettus marble, exhibits a more meticulous craftsmanship on its main side, the one facing the courtyard, where wells and a cistern have been uncovered. The western colonnade has been revealed over a length of approximately 15 metres, while the southern one extends for about 7 metres. Two unfluted, monolithic columns with Ionic capitals supporting part of the architrave are preserved in situ. Numerous architectural elements of the peristyle are scattered around the site or have been incorporated into later constructions. According to a proposed restoration, the structure would have measured 65 by 45 metres. The propylon, made from Pentelic marble, is located opposite the southern colonnade and facilitated access to the peristyle. Its stylobate has been revealed over a length of about 6.5 metres, preserving part of a column and a pilaster. An alternative perspective suggests that it may not be a propylon but rather a section of another space associated with the peristyle. Overall, the morphological features of the monument’s elements are not carefully executed; rather, they reflect a sense of haste and cost-effectiveness in construction.
The dating and identification of the building have not been conclusively confirmed. Most scholars place it either in the Roman or in the late Roman period, while architectural elements such as the capitals and the architrave were probably built in earlier times and reused in the peristyle. Regarding its function, various opinions have been proposed, such as that it was the Prytaneion, Hadrian’s Panhellenion, the Sanctuary of Serapis, or a private building. The prevailing view is that it constitutes part of a late Roman bathhouse (balneum), as it is considered to be connected with remains found in the diaconicon (sacristy) of the church of Saint Catherine and identified by the excavators as a bathhouse constructed before the invasion of the Heruli.
The building was probably damaged in 267 CE by the Heruli, along with other buildings in the southern residential area of Athens. Later on, a basilica occupied most of the peristyle and in the 11th century, a cross-in-square church dedicated to Agioi Theodoroi (Saint Theodores) was erected there. In 1767, the church was granted as a dependency to the monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai and was thus rededicated Saint Catherine. Finally, in 1882, it came under the ownership of the Metropolis of Athens.
