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The Norman City of Cefalù    

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Cefalù  lies on the North coast of Sicily halfway between Palermo and Messina. The coast forms a natural harbor that the Phoenicians first exploited in the ninth century, B.C.E. Subsequently conquered by the Greeks, Romans (who called it Cefaloedium), Byzantines, and Arabs (857 C.E.), the Normans arrived in Sicily during the eleventh century and conquered the island by 1091. King Roger II of Sicily built the cathedral and made Cefalù a center of Norman power, along with Palermo.

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"Temple of Diana"

Work on the cathedral began in 1131. Roger intended to make Cefalù the burial site of his family. The exterior of the church was Norman in its style, but the interior was furnished with mosaics executed by Byzantine craftsmen that Roger must have brought to Cefalù from Italy or from Byzantium. The Byzantine influence can be most readily seen in the design of the mosaics and the Greek lettering embedded in them. The gospel book that Christ holds in his hand has a Greek text on the left and the same text in Latin on the right.
 

View of Cefalù and Harbor

View of Norman City

View of the Roman and Byzantine Fortifications

 

Cathedral Cathedral, view from side and rear
Interior of Cathedral Mosaic in apse, general view
Mosaic in apse, Christ Pantocrator Mosaic in apse, detail of Gospel Book

 

Entering the citadel Photographing the Cathedral Temple of Venus 800 B.C.