Cefalù Cathedral
unknown (Norman)
Download1A3-N-S-CD-A6_cp.jpg (349.0Kb)
Alternative Title
Cathedral-Basilica of Cefalù
Date
1131-1240Description
View looking northwest from "La Rocca", showing the town at left, the Cathedral at right, and the Mediterranean Sea beyond; The cathedral, dating from 1131, was commenced in the Norman style, the island of Sicily having been conquered by the Normans in 1091. According to tradition, the building was erected after a vow made to the Holy Saviour by the King of Sicily, Roger II, after he escaped from a storm to land on the city's beach. The fortress-like character of the building, which, seen from a distance, rises as a huge bulk above its medieval town, may in part reflect the vulnerability of the site to attack from the sea. It also made a powerful statement of the Norman presence. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 7/17/2008)
Type of Work
cathedral; basilicaSubject
architectural exteriors, rulers and leaders, religious, Norman, Romanesque
Rights
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only