Olympios Michalis

Olympios Michalis serves as Associate Professor of History of Western Art at the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Faculty of Letters. Previously holding positions as Assistant Professor (2015-2020) and Lecturer (2011-2015) at the same institution, he specializes in medieval European art with particular focus on Gothic architecture in France and the Latin East.

• Doctoral studies in Art History, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London (2005-2010)
• MA in Art History, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London (2004-2005)
• Undergraduate studies, Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1999-2003)

His research centers on Gothic architecture and sculpture in France and the Latin East, with specific interests in the history of Gothic church construction, spatial usage in medieval churches, and the interaction between ritual, architectural form, and sacred topography in the late Middle Ages. He teaches undergraduate courses including Introduction to Western Art History, Renaissance Art, Gothic Architecture, and specialized courses on Cyprus under Lusignan and Venetian rule, alongside postgraduate seminars on Crusader art and medieval Cypriot archaeology.

Recent publications reveal consistent focus on Lusignan and Venetian Cyprus architecture, with emerging trends examining cross-religious architectural influences and performative aspects of medieval sacred spaces. His monograph Building the Sacred in a Crusader Kingdom: Gothic Church Architecture in Lusignan Cyprus (2018) represents a major contribution to the field.

• Corresponding Member, International Center of Medieval Art (2023-2026)
• Guest Scholar, Getty Research Institute (2018)
• Member, International Research Seminar 'Art of the Crusades: A Re-Evaluation' (2015-2017)
• Visiting Research Associate, Centre for Hellenic Studies, King's College London (2012-2014)

As Principal Investigator for the Leventis Foundation-funded project on Nicosia's Bedestan (2017-2019), he has secured significant research funding while co-directing interdisciplinary projects on Saint-Omer Collegiate Church and the Cistercian Nunnery of St Theodore in Nicosia. He co-edits the journal Frankokratia: A Journal for the Study of Greek Lands under Latin Rule and serves on the editorial board for Brepols' 'Mediterranean Nexus' series.

His research integrates architectural analysis with cultural history, examining how sacred spaces functioned within complex religious landscapes of the Crusader states, particularly emphasizing Cyprus as a crossroads of Byzantine, Latin, and Eastern Christian traditions.