1 Jun 2022

Restoration

The Cefalù Cathedral’s organs are currently under restoration. For liturgical celebrations, an organ made in 1966 by Vincenzo Mascioni is used. It is located on the north side of the transept, which was also recently restored. The Mascioni company, established in 1829, specialises in the producti...
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1 Jun 2022

particular painting

A painting was found on the column located in the first inter-column, on the north side of the nave. The conservation is unfortunately not optimal, but the painting could be dated between 1145 and 1148, the years of the mosaic decoration of the presbytery, since it is in Byzantine style. Various sch...
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1 Jun 2022

particular painting

A painting was found on the column located in the first inter-column, on the north side of the nave. The conservation is unfortunately not optimal, but the painting could be dated between 1145 and 1148, the years of the mosaic decoration of the presbytery, since it is in Byzantine style. Various sch...
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1 Jun 2022

opposing organs

In the Basilica of Cefalù, there are two pipe organs that are currently being restored. Around the 17th century, the best organ builders, including Raffaele La Valle and his son Antonio, were active throughout the Diocese, later becoming famous and sought after even outside Sicily. The organs were ...
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1 Jun 2022

baptismal font

The baptismal font, found in churches and baptisteries, is the basin containing the water for baptism, the moment in which one is reborn to new life, according to Christian religion. The Cefalù baptismal font, dating back to the 12th century, was positioned under the Norman ambo. The two monuments,...
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1 Jun 2022

Norman ambo

The ambo is one of the focal points of the Eucharistic celebration, since it is in this sacred place that the word of God is proclaimed. This is why it is placed on the south side of the nave, where the sun reaches its maximum brightness. The word proclaimed has the power to overcome darkness and de...
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1 Jun 2022

Francesco Gonzaga

Francesco Gonzaga, during Annibale’s time, was born in Gazzuolo in 1546. He grew up under the tutelage of Marquis Ercole Gonzaga and entered the Order of Friars Minor, becoming a priest in 1570. A few years later, he was elected Minister General of the Order and, in 1587, he was appointed bishop o...
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1 Jun 2022

capitals

The capital is the structural element connecting the column to the part of masonry above it, supported by an architrave or an arch. The capital, normally made of a stone material, is often decorated according to the style and age of its creation. Inside the Cefalù Cathedral, among the oldest archi...
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1 Jun 2022

limestone paving slabs

In the central bay, the flooring is made of light-coloured and grey limestone paving stones, sourced from a quarry on one of the slopes of the nearby Rocca. This stone is called Lumachella. In contrast to the bright colours of the mosaics, the dark colour of the flooring gives it a more majestic and...
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1 Jun 2022

sculptural groups

In 1533 Antonello Gagini, with his workshop, made a Virgin Mary and Child for the cathedral. Made of white marble and decorated with gold, the sculptural group shows the typical features of the Gaginian style: the gentleness and delicacy of the faces, the flowing drapery and a distinct figurative el...
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