Hieratic and solemn, the half-length Christ Pantocrator appears and emerges from a precious golden background, like a casket of divine light. The Pantocrator, from the Greek word for ruler of all things, blesses the faithful with his right hand: the two arched fingers symbolise Christ's dual nature,...

In the Monreale Cathedral mosaic decoration, there are notable elements of the Roman-Cosmatesque style, for example in the mosaic decoration of the bands and the geometrically decorated fields. This type of decoration is visible in the bay of the Williams, located in the right wing of the presbytery...

The flooring of the Monreale Cathedral is characterised by a mixture of styles. The Islamic style is predominant, especially in the designs of the carpets. This type of decoration is found in the Great Presbytery, consisting of 48 panels, 44 of which are characterised by the use of Islamic designs, ...

The dominant style of the flooring of Monreale, together with the Islamic style and the Roman-Cosmatesque component, is Byzantine-Cassinian. In fact, the ongoing work carried out between 1170 and 1180 was influenced by both the Salerno Cathedral and the nearby churches of Palermo. The purely Benedic...

The sovereign, born in 1120, was the fourth son of Roger II and Elvira of Castile. Educated at the court of Palermo, permeated by Arab culture, he was said to spend most of his time entertaining himself, often neglecting administrative affairs. Associated with his father's throne in 1151, he was cro...

The tomb of William II, made with white marble, was commissioned by Ludovico I Torres in 1575 and placed in the Cathedral’s right transept. Of Renaissance style, it has an epitaph that praises the life and deeds of the great Sicilian sovereign. The long text was composed by the Monreale poet Anton...

At the centre of the dome and surrounded by four adoring angels, the Christ Pantocrator of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio is enclosed in a medallion containing verses from the Gospel of John: “I am the light of the world; He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." The...

Roger I, son of Tancred of Hauteville, was Count of Calabria and Sicily. He was born in Hauteville-la-Guichard, Normandy in 1031. Roger, known as the Great Count, was responsible for the conquest of Sicily, together with his brother Robert Guiscard. After the 1061 landing in Messina and the surrende...

Roger I, son of Tancred of Hauteville, was Count of Calabria and Sicily. He was born in Hauteville-la-Guichard, Normandy in 1031.Roger, known as the Great Count, was responsible for the conquest of Sicily, together with his brother Robert Guiscard. After the 1061 landing in Messina and the surrender...

Robert of Hauteville, known as Guiscard, son of Tancred and an able military leader, married the Salerno princess Sikelgaita in his second marriage. His story was thus linked to that of the city of Salerno, which he besieged and conquered in 1076. Robert was the first Norman prince of Salerno: the c...