The canopied sarcophagi of Palermo Cathedral, used as burial places for Henry VI and Frederick II, were carved using porphyry columns, 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 or craftsmen from Egypt and Constantinople, specialised in working this particular marble. The sarcophagi, destined for the Cathedral of Cefalù, were ordered by Roger II before 1145: one to house his mortal remains, the other to glorify his memory. But, after his death in 1154, his wishes were not respected. Currently, the first King of Sicily rests in a tomb, also made of porphyry with a sloping lid, located in the Palermo Cathedral.
