The crown of Constance of Aragon, dating back to approximately 1222, was made by the Tiraz of the Royal Palace. The crown, a symbol of luxury and royalty, has side pendants; the cloth cap is embellished with a fine vermicular gold filigree, raw gems collected in baskets and strings of beads elegantl...

The Palermo Cathedral, like that of Cefalù, was designed as an ecclesia munita. For this reason, a system of passages was created, inside the walls and in the upper parts, as patrol walkways, protected by elegant battlements placed at the top of the building. In the area of the Presbytery, these pa...

In 1794, a sundial was created by Giuseppe Piazza at the end of the central aisle at the behest of Archbishop Filippo Lopez y Royo. The Palermo University professor and astronomer had precious materials used in its construction: it consists of a prismatic brass bar, slightly raised, set into the flo...

One can still admire the skill with which Antonio Gambara created the portico, in 1429, using reused materials. The stone's durability was moulded by the skilful hands of the Magister, who envisaged a work of art in the Catalan Gothic style. Entrance is gained through three pointed arches resting on...

The capitals of the columns in the Cefalù Cloister are characterised by original decorative motifs, emblematic of medieval art. Following its itinerary, made up of the transcendence of the circle inserted in the immanence of the square, we are invited to embark on a spiritual journey of purificatio...

The medieval church had the apse area as its only liturgical space. In smaller religious buildings, the apse had two small lateral service rooms for the safekeeping of sacred books and preparing the liturgy. In larger churches and cathedrals, these areas were enlarged, as in the case of the Cefalù ...

the walls of the aisles, still unfinished pending a mosaic decoration which was never carried out, were designed and embellished, according to 18th-century style, with the insertion of a number of chapels with wall decorations consisting of friezes, pilasters, frames and stucco sculptures of classic...

Hands feel the coldness of the stone as they graze the front elevation of the Cathedral. Restored at the end of the 15th century, it houses the protruding body of the tetra-style portico, made by the magister Ambrosius da Como. It is subdivided into three large arches, two lateral pointed arches and...

The life of the Cathedral is also narrated through frescoes preserved within the walls of functional places, such as the towers, which are not always used to exalt beauty. Getting closer and touching the precious frescoes with your hand, you notice that the weather has compromised the legibility of ...

The aisles, the sides of which form a perfect square, are rhythmically marked by twenty-six ogival arches, supported by 228 smooth, inlaid, coupled columns. The columns' bases bear motifs of stylised leaves, rosettes, lion's paws, beasts, men and animals in groups, frogs and lizards. Capitals rest o...