From 1412, Sicily was a vice-kingdom of the Spanish crown of Aragon. The following years were characterised by a major commitment to building in order to renew the cities, especially the port cities of Palermo, Messina and Syracuse, from an urban and architectural point of view. Restorations, decora...

The Renaissance was a period of artistic and cultural rebirth that developed, especially in the city of Florence, from the end of the Middle Ages to the beginning of the Modern Age, i.e. from the mid-14th century to the 16th century. The Renaissance is about change and breaking away from the beliefs...

In 1588, the Historia della chiesa di Monreale (History of the Church of Monreale) by Giovan Luigi Lello was printed in Rome. It is a detailed essay on the history and architecture of the Monreale Cathedral, which also includes references to the context and the Benedictine order to which the complex...

The central arch of the entrance to the portico, built in 1547, was decorated with the coat of arms of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, made by the artist Vincenzo Gagini. The new portico replaced a construction whose style and architectural features are unfortunately unknown. Vincenzo Gagini, born in P...

Giovanni Gagini, son of the famous Domenico Gagini, was born in Palermo in 1470. Much of his work as a sculptor was carried out in the Sicilian provinces of Palermo, Messina, Trapani, Agrigento. Fazio Gagini was born in Palermo in 1520 to Antonello Gagini. He collaborated with his brother Giandomeni...

The capital, an architectural element found at the end of a load-bearing structure (such as a pilaster or a column) is usually decorated according to the canons of the classical age and the relative styles: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, composite. The Corinthian order is characterised by the decoration ...

Entasis, from the Greek èntasis meaning tension, from the Italian verb tendere, is a swelling of a column's stem about a third of the way up. The swelling is caused by the narrowing of the diameter of the column from the bottom upwards. The entasis is used for purely aesthetic purposes. ...

Biagio Timpanella was the designer of the Cathedral's northern portico, commissioned by Alessandro Farnese and built by the Gaginis in 1547. During his delicate renovation work, the artist respected the harmony of the majestic architectural complex, without affecting its monumentality and artistic c...

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 ...

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 ...