In Christian churches, the presbyteral space is the area around the high altar where the presbyters take their places to worship. This space is located at the end of the nave, ends with the apse and contains the altar. The presbytery is reserved for the clergy and deacons, and in some cases is locat...

The triumphal arch, usually built to commemorate a victory in war or an important event, first appeared in Ancient Rome as a purely celebratory element and was then widely used in the Imperial age. Its shape is that of a large arch-shaped doorway. It may have one or more fornixes, i.e. openings, and...

King Louis IX of France was born in Poissy on 25 April 1214 to Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile. On 29 November 1226, he was crowned in the Reims Cathedral but remained under the guardianship of his mother until he came of age. A skilled reformer, he reduced the power of the feudal lords ...

The sarcophagi of the Norman kings William I and William II are placed at the end of the right aisle of the Monreale Cathedral. William I, known as "the Bad", rests in a red porphyry sarcophagus, commissioned by his son. The sarcophagus of William II, the founder of Monreale, is made of white marble...

In the presbytery access arch from the northern transept, the following are depicted: St Venera, St Juliet and St Quiricus, St Catherine, St Cunegonda, St Agatha and St Margaret. In the presbytery access arch from the southern transept, the following are depicted: St Justina, St Thecla, St Sabina, S...

In the register below the Christ Pantocrator, the Virgin Mary and Child are placed in the centre, with two archangels at the sides, dressed in sumptuous and elegant Byzantine clothing. The archangels depicted are Michael, whose name means "who is like God?", and Gabriel, meaning "God is my strength"...

The bay dedicated to St. Louis of France, was built in 1270, the date of the death of the holy king, to guard his mortal remains. Louis IX, in fact, died in Tunis while participating in the Eighth Crusade. A dispute soon broke out between Charles I of Anjou and the son of King Philip III, which resu...

In the main nave, on the left, the mosaic cycle taken from the New Testament begins with the stories of Christ’s childhood: The Announcement to Zechariah, Zechariah coming out of the Temple, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, Journey of the Magi, Ado...

In the main nave, on the right-hand side, the first mosaic cycle comes from the Old Testament and depicts the moments of Creation. Specifically, the following scenes are depicted:  Beginning of Creation, Creation of light, Creation of waters, Separation of earth from waters, Creation of stars, Crea...

In the Christian liturgy of the early centuries, the Bema was a sacred, elevated space in which the person officiating at the service proclaimed the Sacred Readings and addressed the faithful. In the Eastern Church, it indicated the area of the building reserved for the clergy with the altar, the ca...