Arab-Norman Palermo and Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale (World Heritage)

According to zipcodesexplorer, Sicily, repeatedly fought over as a bridge between Africa and Europe, has developed into a melting pot of cultures through numerous conquests since ancient times. All the conquerors left more or less clear traces on the island, which was conquered in the 11th century by the Normans, who created a modern administrative state on an Arab basis. The mixing of Arab, Norman and Byzantine influences manifested itself in impressive architectural monuments that made the Kingdom of Sicily an important cultural center of medieval Europe.

Arab-Norman Palermo and Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale: Facts Hide table

In the splendor of medieval architecture

Palermo, the ancient Panormos, a Phoenician foundation at the end of the 7th century BC Was the main base of the Carthaginians in Sicily during the 1st Punic War until 254 BC. Was conquered by the Romans. After temporary occupation by Vandals and Ostrogoths, Palermo was conquered by the Byzantines in AD 535 and by the Saracens in 831. Of these 948 raised to the capital of Sicily, it rose to one of the largest and richest cities of the Islamic cultural area. After it was captured by the Normans in 1072, Palermo became the residence and coronation city of the kings of Sicily under Roger II. The Arab-Norman heritage can still be found in the cityscape today. Examples are the Palazzo dei Normanni and the cathedral. The palazzo, which is now the seat of the Sicilian regional parliament, houses the Cappella Palatina (consecrated in 1140), a three-aisled building with a central dome, Byzantine mosaics and richly painted stalactite ceiling. The cathedral, consecrated in 1185 on the edge of the Capo district, combines architectural styles from several centuries, inside there are sarcophagi of Rogers II, Henry VI. and Frederick II.

Cefalù, the ancient Cephaludum was in Greek, Roman, and since 858 in Arab possession; In 1063 it was conquered by the Normans, destroyed and rebuilt by Roger II in the 12th century. The three-aisled Norman cathedral (1131–48) with a double-towered facade is the center of the city. The rich interior with Byzantine mosaics on a gold background in the apse and choir are remarkable.

Wilhelm II of Sicily had the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria Nuova and a cathedral built from 1174; the city of Monreale developed around both of them. The cathedral (1174–89) is considered to be the greatest building of Norman art in Sicily; In it, Norman as well as Saracen and Byzantine style elements are fused into one unit. The three-aisled basilica with an open roof has a double tower facade, the choir section in the east has three apses, adorned with blind arches in different colored rocks (lava and limestone). Inside are the sarcophagi of the Norman kings Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II.

Genoa (World Heritage)

The world heritage includes the part of the old town called “Strade Nuove” around the Palazzi dei Rolli. The magnificent palaces and patrician houses form a unique ensemble of residences of the former Genoese nobility, where famous personalities, emperors, popes and ambassadors once stayed as guests of the Republic of Genoa. The magnificent buildings include the Palazzo Rosso, the Palazzo Bianco and the Palazzo Doria-Tursi.

Genoa: facts