After walking up the steps, access to Cefalù Cathedral was gained through the regal gate or Porta Regum. The importance of the Cathedral’s entrance is highlighted by the marble portal, richly ornamented with recessed rings decorated with figurative motifs, the iconographic design of which is not yet complete, visible today in some elements only roughly hewn and not finished. The creation of the portal, as well as its construction, dates back to Roger’s time. In the Rollus Rubeus, dated 1329, reference is made to wall paintings, flanking the portal and showing Norman and Swabian rulers. However, they are already noted as being badly damaged.
