Monreale Cathedral
the Great Presbytery

The chapel of the crucifix: an artistic casket based on a previous model

A significant trace, still visible in the architecture of Monreale Cathedral, can be attributed to Archbishop Giovanni Ruano , who built the Chapel of the Crucifix, his main work inside the Temple. It was consecrated in 1692, after a short period of work between the date of its design in 1686 by the Capuchin Friar Giovanni da Monreale , whose work was continued by the Jesuit Angelo Italia , and its completion in 1690.The portal , decorated with sacred and profane themes ,  Is located at the side of the Chapel of the Sacrament, which is accessed from the left wing of the transept. The decoration already suggests the celebratory purpose of this space, which was dedicated to the veneration of the crucifix and at the same time to the burial of the archbishop himself and his successors.
From the architecture of this place, consisting of a lowered barrel vault , it is possible to trace the original connection between the Church and the Royal Palace , destroyed by Cardinal Giovanni Borgia in order to build a road and later restored through the adoption of a covered passageway distinguished by grey marble walls.
Even from this area, the reference to the family of its founder becomes inescapable, as can be seen from the coats of arms that reach the ribs visible on the vault.

Norman religious architecture with islamic influences in Sicily

A Northern population

Roger II’s strategic design

The side Portico: a combination of elegance and lightness of form

Under the crosses of the Bema

Cefalù: settlement evidence through time

The Chapel of the Kings

A new Cathedral

The plasticism of the main portico and Bonanno Pisano’s Monumental Bronze Door

The construction of Monreale Cathedral: between myth and history

The chorus: beating heart of the cathedral

The links between the hauteville family and the monastic orders in Sicily

A mixture of styles pervades the floor decorations

The marble portal: an intimate dialogue between complex ornamental aspects and formal structure

A remarkable ceiling

A cloister of accentuated stylistic variety

The chapel of St. Benedict

The lost chapel

A compositional design that combines nordic examples with new artistic languages, over the centuries

The chapel of the crucifix: an artistic casket based on a previous model

The paradisiacal “Conca d’oro” that embraces Palermo: a name with countless faces through time

The Virgin Hodegetria

The side aisles

The Kings’ Cathedrals

Ecclesia munita

The cemetery of kings

The architectural modifications ti the cathedral building after the death of Roger II and the transformations of the cloister

The Gualtiero Cathedral

The original design

The senses tell Context 1

The transformations of the hall through the centuries

A space between the visible and the invisible

Worship services

Beyond the harmony of proportions

The southern portico

The mosaics of the apses

The Great Restoration

Gardens and architecture as a backdrop to the city of Palermo

The dialogue between the architectures of the monumental complex

Two initially similar towers, varied over time

The towers and the western facade

Transformations over the centuries

Porphyry sarcophagi: royalty and power

Tempus fugit: a strategic project implemented in a short period of time

Interior decorations

Survey of the royal tombs

The chystro: a place between earth and sky

The Bible carved in stone

Artistic elements in Peter’s ship

Mosaic decoration

A controversial interpretation

Squaring the circle

Characteristics of religious architecture in the romanesque period

The longest aisle

Roger II of hauteville: a sovereign protected by God

The rediscovered chapel

The cultural substrate through time

A palimpsest of history

The Cathedral over the centuries

A polysemy of high-level artistic forms and content

The towers facing the facade used as bell towers

Layers of different cultures decorate the external apses

The Great Presbytery: a unique space for the cathedral

The mosaics of the presbytery

The balance between architecture and light

The decorated facade

The Cefalù cathedral: a construction yard undergoing a change between a surge of faith and control over the territory

The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene

The king’s mark

Palermo: the happiest city

The columns of the nave: the meticulous study of the overall order

The medieval city amidst monasticism and feudal aristocracy

The chapel of san Castrense: an important renaissance work

A chapel by an unknown designer based on repeated symmetries

The liturgical spaces of the protesis and the diaconicon

The stone bible

The beginning of the construction site

Thirteenth-century iconography decorates the nave’s wooden ceiling, designed with new solutions

From the Mosque to the Cathedral

Biblical themes enlivened by the dazzling light of the stained – glass windows overlooking the naves

A tree full of life

The area of the Sanctuary

From the main gate to the aisles: an invitation to a journey of faith