The Madonna Enthroned also known as Maestà or sedes sapientiae is an iconography that appeared between the mid-13th century and the 14th century. In the representation of the Maestà (Majesty), Mary is depicted in the centre, holding the baby Jesus in her arms and seated on a very rich throne. She ...

The fresco is a particular painting technique; it is executed by spreading a layer of paint, diluted with water, directly into the fresh wall plaster. Once dry, the colour becomes bright and compact. On the middle pillar between the nave and the northern aisle, there is a fresco depicting the Virgin...

The sculptural group of the Annunciation has been attributed to sculptor Giorgio da Milano, as a document was found in which the artist was asked to rework the angel's wings. It was dated before 1485. In white marble, both the Virgin Annunciate and the Angel are characterised by the sweetness of the...

The end parts, on the transept, of the two walls that mark off the Bema and divide it from the two lateral apses....

A recess in the wall of a building, the niche is often topped with a spherical half-cap. Depending on the shape, there are different types of niches: semicircular, rectangular, polygonal. The niche is also an important decorative element intended to hold votive statues or images for worship....

In churches, the transept is a transverse body, inscribed within the perimeter of the building or projecting outwards, which is inserted between the presbytery area and the naves. It derives from the Latin words trans , meaning beyond, and saeptum , meaning enclosure. The transept intersects the lo...

The canopied sarcophagi of Palermo Cathedral, used as burial places for Henry VI and Frederick II, were carved using porphyry elements, likely coming from Rome. The marble craftsmen therefore copied ancient specimens and sketched them out, if not finished, in Rome, where there were Islamic craftsmen...

The rib, also known as an ogive, is an architectural element that divides a vault or dome into equal parts. It was mostly used in medieval architecture, especially Romanesque and Gothic, although it appeared in Roman architecture as early as the 2nd century AD. It serves to lighten the thrusts. In f...

In Cefalù, influences from northern Europe can be seen, especially in the transept with three semicircular apses, which has a higher elevation than the naves. The soaring transept and this propensity for verticality is typical of French-Burgundian architecture. In particular, the Abbey of Cluny is ...

The intertwining arch is typical of Islamic architecture. It is formed by a pointed arch with an intrados of two intersecting cusped curves. This decorative typology was later adopted in Gothic art....