Alessandro Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III Farnese, was Archbishop of Monreale from 1568 to 1573. Born in Valentano in 1520, he studied in Parma and then in Bologna. A refined patron and man of culture, during his time in office he also devoted himself to renovating the Monreale Cathedral, through ...

A document, dated 1542 and drawn up by the Royal Visitor Monsignor Francesco Vento, provides further information on the portico of the northern entrance, which was rebuilt due to its state of neglect. The same document also contains information on the state of preservation of the cathedral buildings...

The bronze door, commissioned to the artist Bonanno Pisano, was fitted into an ancient portal made of cusped spolia marble, with four pointed rings. It is richly decorated with bands of figurative, geometric and abstract motifs in relief, as well as opus sectile inlays with star-shaped polygons. Bo...

The bronze door, commissioned to the artist Bonanno Pisano, was fitted into an ancient portal made of cusped spolia marble, with four pointed rings. It is richly decorated with bands of figurative, geometric and abstract motifs in relief, as well as opus sectile inlays with star-shaped polygons. Bo...

The Gates of Paradise by Bonanno Pisano is inserted into an older portal with four pilasters that extend to form an ogival arch. This grandiose stone frame is decorated with bands of alternating geometric, symmetrical, floral and raceme motifs, small animal and human figures and delicate mosaic stri...

The column is an architectural element, with vertical momentum, usually consisting of the base, the stem and the capital. The stem, in particular, is the middle part that performs the load-bearing function. It is also called the trunk of the column and, in its canonical form, tends to get narrow upw...

The Italian term "stipiti" derives from the Latin stipes, meaning trunk. The jambs define the sides of the portal. They take the form of the two vertical piers present in both doors and windows. ...

The Italian term "stipiti" derives from the Latin stipes, meaning trunk. The jambs define the sides of the portal. They take the form of the two vertical piers present in both doors and windows....

The baptistery is the place used for baptism ceremonies. It could be a building annexed to the church, with a polygonal layout, since the early Christian church tended to separate the liturgical area where services were held, reserved for the baptised, from those who had not been baptised. The bapti...

The baptistery is the place used for baptism ceremonies. It could be a building annexed to the church, with a polygonal layout, since the early Christian church tended to separate the liturgical area where services were held, reserved for the baptised, from those who had not been baptised. The bapti...