The construction of Monreale Cathedral: between myth and history
The southern portico
A building constructed in a short space of time
The Palace of Kings
A palimpsest of history
A polysemy of high-level artistic forms and content
The liturgical spaces of the protesis and the diaconicon
The columns of the nave: the meticulous study of the overall order
Criteria for the inclusion of Palermo Arab-Norman and the Cefalù and Monreale Cathedrals in the WHL
Biblical themes enlivened by the dazzling light of the stained – glass windows overlooking the naves
The Gualtiero Cathedral
The senses tell the external architecture and the original layout
The balance between architecture and light
From the Mosque to the Cathedral
The Cefalù cathedral: a construction yard undergoing a change between a surge of faith and control over the territory
Tempus fugit: a strategic project implemented in a short period of time
Restorations
The side aisles
The original design
The opus sectile floor of the Palatine Chapel
Thirteenth-century iconography decorates the nave’s wooden ceiling, designed with new solutions
The senses tell Context 1
The senses tell the historical context
The plasticism of the main portico and Bonanno Pisano’s Monumental Bronze Door
The medieval city amidst monasticism and feudal aristocracy
The Great Presbytery: a unique space for the cathedral
The beautiful Zisa and its garden: solacium regi among sounds, colours and scents
The senses tell the architecture and decorations
Artistic elements in Peter’s ship
A new Cathedral
The rediscovered palace
The rediscovered chapel
A cloister of accentuated stylistic variety
The mosaics of the presbytery
The architectural modifications ti the cathedral building after the death of Roger II and the transformations of the cloister
The chorus: beating heart of the cathedral
The senses tell the ceiling
The loca solatiorum: dwellings for recreation, well-being and hunting
The Cathedral over the centuries
The transformations of the hall through the centuries
The links between the hauteville family and the monastic orders in Sicily
A mixture of styles pervades the floor decorations
Gardens and architecture as a backdrop to the city of Palermo
The towers and the western facade
The mosaics of the naves
The marble portal: an intimate dialogue between complex ornamental aspects and formal structure
Ecclesia munita
The chapel of St. Benedict
Transformations over the centuries
The Genoard Park, the garden of pleasures and wonders
From oblivion to the recovery of memory
A space between the visible and the invisible
Porphyry sarcophagi: royalty and power
Two initially similar towers, varied over time
Under the crosses of the Bema
The senses tell the mosaic cycle
The birth of the Norman kingdom
The mosaic cycle, an ascending path towards the light
From earthquake to collapse
The Cassaro
The senses tell baroque decoration
The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene
The senses tell the architecture
The area of the Sanctuary
A controversial interpretation
the Baroque interior
The lost chapel
The Kings’ Cathedrals
The dialogue between the architectures of the monumental complex
The senses tell the interior
Gold and light: the splendour of the mosaics in the Royal Chapel
The chapel of the crucifix: an artistic casket based on a previous model
Layers of different cultures decorate the external apses
The longest aisle
The Bible carved in stone
The Royal Throne
The ancient convent of the Martorana, a history of devotion and tradition
Characteristics of religious architecture in the romanesque period
Roger II’s strategic design
An architectural crescendo
The Great Restoration
The Norman conquest of Sicily and the birth of a new Latin kingdom
The cultural substrate through time
The side Portico: a combination of elegance and lightness of form
Squaring the circle
The return of water
The paradisiacal “Conca d’oro” that embraces Palermo: a name with countless faces through time
The senses tell the Zisa over the centuries
Saint Peter’s Chapel in the Royal Palace
The Admiral’s dedication
The architectural envelope: the Greek cross layout oriented towards the light
the Baroque exterior
The senses tell the historical context
Intertwining of knowledge in Norman Palermo
Beyond the harmony of proportions
The Virgin Hodegetria
The interior of the church
Norman religious architecture with islamic influences in Sicily
The architectural space
The decorations on the bell tower
the roof of Paradise: one of the most representative works of medieval art
Shapes and colours of the wooden ceiling
Survey of the royal tombs
The cemetery of kings
The mosaics of the apses
From the main gate to the aisles: an invitation to a journey of faith
Palermo: the happiest city
Interior decorations
The chapel of san Castrense: an important renaissance work
The architectural appearance and transformations over time
Worship services
The towers facing the facade used as bell towers
The Chapel of the Kings
The chystro: a place between earth and sky
A remarkable ceiling
The senses tell restorations
Different styles and transformations of “one of the most beautiful monuments in the world”
The decorated facade
A tree full of life
Decorations
Cefalù: settlement evidence through time
Roger II of hauteville: a sovereign protected by God
The king’s mark
Mosaic decoration
The beginning of the construction site
The flooring: shapes, motifs and iconography
The senses tell the historical context
The senses tell the flooring
A compositional design that combines nordic examples with new artistic languages, over the centuries
A Northern population
A chapel by an unknown designer based on repeated symmetries
MiC – Ministero della Cultura
Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.
Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.
Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.
