The first survey of the royal tombs dates back to 1781, during the restoration of the Cathedral
, when they were moved from their original location in the Presbytery to the new chapel at the beginning of the right-hand nave. The Chapel of the Royal Tombs, inside the Palermo Cathedral, houses the tombs of the Norman Roger II, first king of Sicily, Constance of Hauteville and Henry VI of Swabia and their son Frederick II, together with his first wife Constance of Aragon. Four sarcophagi are placed in corresponding areas of the chapel, with those of Roger II and Constance of Hauteville in the background, and the funerary monuments of Frederick II and Henry VI in the foreground. The sarcophagi, used as burial places by Henry VI and Frederick II, were carved using elements of red porphyry. The two sarcophagi, intended to be placed in the Cefalù Cathedral, were commissioned by (app. historical figure) Roger II, before 1145: one to hold his mortal remains and the other, to be left empty, ‘for the greater glory of God’. After the King’s death in 1154, his wishes were not respected as Frederick II had them transferred to the Palermo Cathedral, allocating one for himself and the other for his father. The two sarcophagi have grey marble and porphyry slab roofs, supported by six porphyry columns. The entablature of the canopy covering the emperor’s sarcophagus contains anthropomorphic protomes. The first King of Sicily rests in a tomb, with a rectangular case, covered with red porphyry slabs and a sloping lid, supported by a sculptural group of four male figures. Queen and Empress Constance of Hauteville lies in a red porphyry sarcophagus bearing the epitaph “Romanorum imperatrix, semper augusta et regina Siciliae”. Both sarcophagi are surmounted by marble canopies; those for Roger II and Constance of Hauteville are in white marble, supported by columns decorated with mosaics with geometric motifs, together with the entablature.The opening of the sarcophagus of Emperor Frederick II was carried out by Francesco Daniele, with the help of Canon Rosario Gregorio. Unfortunately, during this intervention the sarcophagus suffered some damage, especially when the lid was moved back into place, but it was found that there were two more bodies inside, besides the emperor. A subsequent survey
was carried out between 1994 and 1998 in a non-invasive manner, using innovative equipment, to conduct examinations, scientific X-rays and DNA sampling. In addition to the body of Frederick, the study confirmed the presence of two other corpses inside the tomb.One of these corpses has been identified as Pietro d’Aragona, while the other belonged to an unidentified woman. The sarcophagus of Constance, on the other hand, was opened for the first time in 1491 by Viceroy Ferdinand de Acuña. Numerous jewels were found, including the sumptuous crown
, made in the Palermo tiraz
, five rings and a silver plaque
.The crown of Constance of Aragon, found in the tomb of Frederick II’s first wife, was made in the Tiraz, the workshop of the Royal Palace in Palermo, where fabrics and precious stones were worked. Active during the Arab and then Norman periods, the items produced in the Tiraz included carpets, jewellery and, in particular, the cloak of Roger II and the Crown of Constance of Aragon. The style of the artefacts and the meticulous workmanship of the filigree suggest that craftsmen from different cultures were at work. Dating from before 1222, the date of the queen’s death, the crown can be traced back to Norman production due to the refined gold filigree on the cap, the rough gems gathered in baskets and the strings of beads elegantly surrounding the enamels.
The construction of Monreale Cathedral: between myth and history
The towers and the western facade
A new Cathedral
A tree full of life
A chapel by an unknown designer based on repeated symmetries
A controversial interpretation
Gardens and architecture as a backdrop to the city of Palermo
Survey of the royal tombs
Thirteenth-century iconography decorates the nave’s wooden ceiling, designed with new solutions
A cloister of accentuated stylistic variety
From the Mosque to the Cathedral
The architectural modifications ti the cathedral building after the death of Roger II and the transformations of the cloister
Beyond the harmony of proportions
The chapel of san Castrense: an important renaissance work
Layers of different cultures decorate the external apses
The mosaics of the presbytery
The dialogue between the architectures of the monumental complex
The side aisles
A Northern population
From the main gate to the aisles: an invitation to a journey of faith
The Cathedral over the centuries
Two initially similar towers, varied over time
Artistic elements in Peter’s ship
The decorated facade
The Chapel of the Kings
The Bible carved in stone
The columns of the nave: the meticulous study of the overall order
A palimpsest of history
The Kings’ Cathedrals
The chorus: beating heart of the cathedral
The stone bible
The rediscovered chapel
The cemetery of kings
Norman religious architecture with islamic influences in Sicily
The paradisiacal “Conca d’oro” that embraces Palermo: a name with countless faces through time
The balance between architecture and light
A space between the visible and the invisible
Roger II’s strategic design
The mosaics of the apses
The marble portal: an intimate dialogue between complex ornamental aspects and formal structure
A polysemy of high-level artistic forms and content
Under the crosses of the Bema
The longest aisle
The cultural substrate through time
The liturgical spaces of the protesis and the diaconicon
The plasticism of the main portico and Bonanno Pisano’s Monumental Bronze Door
Transformations over the centuries
Palermo: the happiest city
A remarkable ceiling
The side Portico: a combination of elegance and lightness of form
The southern portico
A compositional design that combines nordic examples with new artistic languages, over the centuries
The Cefalù cathedral: a construction yard undergoing a change between a surge of faith and control over the territory
Porphyry sarcophagi: royalty and power
Roger II of hauteville: a sovereign protected by God
Worship services
Ecclesia munita
Tempus fugit: a strategic project implemented in a short period of time
The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene
The Great Presbytery: a unique space for the cathedral
The transformations of the hall through the centuries
The senses tell Context 1
The chystro: a place between earth and sky
The chapel of the crucifix: an artistic casket based on a previous model
The Great Restoration
The chapel of St. Benedict
The medieval city amidst monasticism and feudal aristocracy
Squaring the circle
Mosaic decoration
Cefalù: settlement evidence through time
A mixture of styles pervades the floor decorations
The towers facing the facade used as bell towers
Biblical themes enlivened by the dazzling light of the stained – glass windows overlooking the naves
The lost chapel
Interior decorations
The original design
Characteristics of religious architecture in the romanesque period
The area of the Sanctuary
The Gualtiero Cathedral
The beginning of the construction site
The links between the hauteville family and the monastic orders in Sicily
The king’s mark
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.
, when they were moved from their original location in the Presbytery to the new chapel at the beginning of the right-hand nave.
was carried out between 1994 and 1998 in a non-invasive manner, using innovative equipment, to conduct examinations, scientific X-rays and DNA sampling. In addition to the body of Frederick, the study confirmed the presence of two other corpses inside the tomb.
One of these corpses has been identified as Pietro d’Aragona, while the other belonged to an unidentified woman. The sarcophagus of Constance, on the other hand, was opened for the first time in 1491 by Viceroy Ferdinand de Acuña. Numerous jewels were found, including the sumptuous
crown
, made in the Palermo
tiraz
