Born on 2 April 742, Charlemagne, known as Charles the Great, was the son of Pepin the Short and Bertrand de Laon. After his father's death he was elected King of the Franks in 768. Initially the kingdom was shared with his brother Carloman, who died in mysterious circumstances in 771. Charles was s...

The cosmatesque style takes its name from Cosma, son of Jacopo di Lorenzo and one of the members of the Cosmati family. The Cosmati were a family of Roman marble workers who, from the 12th to the 13th century, with their workshops, had numerous commissions for architectural and decorative work in ec...

The style of the flooring, together with the Islamic style and the cosmatesque component, is Byzantine-Cassinian. In fact, the works were influenced by the flooring of the Cathedral of Salerno, which Roger had certainly admired. The purely Benedictine influence is linked to the Church of Montecassin...

The royal throne, Romanesque in style and dating from the 12th century, is decorated in opus sectile. The royal throne is characterised by the extensive use of porphyry, a marble which became a symbol of strength and glory over the centuries and which, in the throne, takes on the significance of exa...

In 395, Emperor Theodosius divided the empire into two parts: a Western part with Rome as its capital and an Eastern part with Constantinople as its capital. Over time, the division also affected the economy, language, art and religion. In particular, the Patriarch of Constantinople wanted to expres...

The decorations of the Palatine Chapel divide the building into two parts: the Byzantine-style mosaics, especially those in the chancel, celebrate God through the triumphant Christ, depicted as the Pantocrator in the dome, central apse and St Paul's apsidiole; the stylistic features of the flooring ...

Westwerk, i.e. west work,  is also known as the western body. It spread between the end of the 9th century and the 10th century in Carolingian churches. Formed by a central structure flanked by two towers, it took on a fortified appearance on the outside, while on the inside it was a space of consi...

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, the Gospel and the Epistles are read and the people are preached to. This is why it is placed on the south side of the nave, where the sun reaches its maximum brig...

The Paschal candle, used in Easter night services as a symbol of the light of Christ rising and overcoming darkness, is usually placed at the end of the candelabrum, known as the patera. The candelabra of the Palatine Chapel, a masterpiece of the Sicilian Romanesque style, is currently located at th...

In the Tabularium, inside the Royal Palace complex, precious documents such as original diplomas in parchment concerning the history of the Palatine Chapel, Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio and other churches and monuments are kept. The Tabularium collection, in Greek, Latin and Arabic, contains 151 parc...