The Augustinians are a religious order that follows the Rule of Saint Augustine, inspired by the rules that the Saint wrote for the nuns of Hippo. They were formally organised in order in 1256, when Pope Alexander IV, with the Papal Bull Licet Ecclesiae Catholicae, brought together various congrega...

As is attested in various documents, including the Liber Privilegiorum of Tommaso da Butera, the latter source dated 1129, Roger personally went to the Abbey of Santa Maria in Bagnara, even before his coronation, to entrust the Diocese of Cefalù to the Augustinian Fathers. The diocese was restored ...

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 ...

Because of its monumental extension and grandeur, the mausoleum is a funerary monument of particular importance intended for important figures or those who were well-known during their lives. The name derives from King Mausolus of Caria, who had a tomb built, which is considered one of the seven won...

Many cathedrals were entrusted to canons regular, while others were built with the plan of being entrusted to a conventual order. This is what happened in Cefalù with the Augustinians or in Monreale with the Benedictines. Both buildings, in fact, have a cloister in addition to the convent....

The Abbey of the Holy Trinity was built in 1081 by Roger I of Hauteville in Mileto, a city that had been chosen by the Grand Count as the capital of his county. The building was unfortunately destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1783. At present, there are only a few ruins and finds which have been ...

From explorations and archaeological excavations conducted in recent years, it was noted that the Cefalù Cathedral was built on the site of a pre-existing Byzantine church. Evidence of this would be polychrome Byzantine mosaics, of which some figures are preserved. The predominant colours are red, ...

The city of Salerno is closely linked to the history of the Normans. Robert of Hauteville, known as Guiscard, son of Tancred and an able military leader, married the Salerno princess Sikelgaita in his second marriage. So in 1076, he managed to besiege the city, ruled by his brother-in-law, and conqu...

The Ligurian Ventimiglia family, counts and marquises of Geraci and princes of Castelbuono, settled in Cefalù in the second half of the thirteenth century and quickly exercised considerable control and power throughout the town. The powerful family owned many assets in the town, including gardens, ...

In the second half of the 13th century, Cefalù went through a moment of crisis because of the clash between the local church and Emperor Frederick II of Swabia and also because of the excessive power exercised by the local aristocracy. These changes wore down the status of civitas episcopal. In the...