The apse, from the Latin absis, meaning arch, appears as a semi-cylindrical or polygonal structure and is present in both public buildings and churches. Usually, in churches, it concludes the main nave, beyond the presbytery, or the two side aisles and symbolises the privileged place where the prese...

From the Latin postĕrŭla, essentially meaning the little door at the back, the posterns take the form of small hidden doors that provide a more private way of communication between the outside and the inside of the building. Because of their distance from the main entrance, posterns were often use...

The original design of the Cefalù Cathedral was planned as a sort of Ecclesia Munita, that is, a fortress cathedral. In Sicily, other examples can be seen in Palermo, Monreale and in the original layout of the Catania Cathedral, commissioned by Roger I. These buildings were characterised by their g...

The original design of the Cefalù Cathedral was planned as a sort of Ecclesia Munita, that is, a fortress cathedral. In Sicily, other examples can be seen in Palermo, Monreale and in the original layout of the Catania Cathedral, commissioned by Roger I. These buildings were characterised by their g...

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 ...

The "turniale", used over the centuries also as a burial place, is currently a large, quadrangular space, functioning as a churchyard. It was built in 1585 by Bishop Preconio. Originally, access to the Cathedral was gained via a staircase or an incline, which gave Roger II’s great project an impos...

The seminary, from the Latin seminarum , meaning seedbed, is an ecclesiastical institution for the spiritual, theological and cultural training of aspiring priests. The Episcopal seminary of Cefalù was commissioned by Bishop Francesco Gonzaga in 1590....

The first nucleus of the bishop's Cefalù palace, now adjacent to the seminary, dates back to the Middle Ages, to the time of Roger’s reign. However, it was Bishop Francesco Gonzaga, in 1590, who wanted to give it its current formal architectural structure. In 1793, Bishop Francesco Vanni complete...

The cloister, from the Latin claustrum, meaning enclosed place, is the essential inner courtyard of a monastery and a space of disengagement between the various environments of communal life. It appeared in the 5th century AD. In the Middle Ages, it was built alongside the Cathedrals, if they were c...

The town of Cefalù, as well as the Cathedral, are nestled under an imposing brown calcareous-rock mass; the "dolomia calcarea", known as the "Rocca". In ancient times, this was the place where the "lumachella" stone was quarried and used to make the paving stones for the Cathedral. The Rocca is pro...