• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.26
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• pp.43-71
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• 2012

In this article, we recognize the cross-cultural communication between Greece and Spain through El Greco's pictures. The Greeks of Crete kept to their culture and continued to look to the declining Byzantine Empire for spiritual and political guidance. For two centuries after the conquest, the strength of the Byzantine tradition had become the moral and spiritual sustenance of the conquered in Crete. The basic contribution of Cretan intellectuals or artists such as El Greco of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was the forging of connecting links between the Hellenism of the old Byzantine East and the rising, youthful Hellenism of the Renaissance West. In this way, Crete served as an important halfway point between East and West. The saint Mary Magdalene was symbol of Christian penitence, which represents the penitential life personified and became widespread during the Counter Reformation, when new emphasis was put on the value of prayer and repentance in the forgiveness of sin. In Spain, the Penitent Magdalene was popular and El Greco painted many versions, which at the first time, were reflected by Tiziano, on the contrary, at the time of Toledo, were recreated by his own style. Although El Greco was converted to Catholic in Spain, his faith in Greek Orthodox Church influenced on his original painting world. El Greco had never painted a picture whose subject treat with the emphasis of identification between Mary Magdalene and Mary, younger sister of Martha.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.56-68
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• 2009

Ongoing and extensive urbanisation, which is frequently accompanied with careless construction works, may threaten important archaeological structures that are still buried in the urban areas. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) methods are most promising alternatives for resolving buried archaeological structures in urban territories. In this work, three case studies are presented, each of which involves an integrated geophysical survey employing the surface three-dimensional (3D) ERT and GPR techniques, in order to archaeologically characterise the investigated areas. The test field sites are located at the historical centres of two of the most populated cities of the island of Crete, in Greece. The ERT and GPR data were collected along a dense network of parallel profiles. The subsurface resistivity structure was reconstructed by processing the apparent resistivity data with a 3D inversion algorithm. The GPR sections were processed with a systematic way, applying specific filters to the data in order to enhance their information content. Finally, horizontal depth slices representing the 3D variation of the physical properties were created. The GPR and ERT images significantly contributed in reconstructing the complex subsurface properties in these urban areas. Strong GPR reflections and highresistivity anomalies were correlated with possible archaeological structures. Subsequent excavations in specific places at both sites verified the geophysical results. The specific case studies demonstrated the applicability of ERT and GPR techniques during the design and construction stages of urban infrastructure works, indicating areas of archaeological significance and guiding archaeological excavations before construction work.