Pelagonitissa


The Pelagonitissa is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin holds an infant Jesus in an abrupt movement, his head back and grabbing onto her.
Pelagonitissa was developed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in the Byzantine Empire, particularly in Macedonia. The name Pelagonitissa refers to the city of Bitola, previously known as Pelagonia.

Pelagonitissa is often seen as a variant of the Eleusa icon in which the infant Jesus rests. One of the best-known examples is in the Church of St. George, Staro Nagoričane, restored by the Serbian king Milutin in the 13th century.