Cefalu
The Tyrrhenian Sea is the lofty host of the city named Cefalu. Situated on the northern Coast of Sicily, the city is part of the province of Palermo and a major touristic center.
Ancient Cefalu bore the name Cephaloedium and it was built on the site of a Sicanian settlement. Various remnants from those ages are present to tell stories of ancient periods, but the quintessence of Sicanian traces is well protected by the Temple of Diana which bears an imposing image due to its position on a summit. The temple is a live proof of Diana’s (Artemis) veneration. The myths present the goddess of the woods and hunters as the one who changed Greek Arethusa into a spring that begins its journey on the island of Ortygia. The temple resembles to the one in Pantalica. Its upper sections date from the Greek period.
The Norman pageantry is present as in the 11th and the 12th centuries the battlements on top of the mountain were constructed. Few elements are due to restoration. The wall basically preserves its original structure. Little information is known of the origin or those who built it.
Cefalu is pampered with one of the most magnificent churches of all southern Europe, the Arab- Norman- Byzantine Cathedral. It receives serial outlooks as it is an impressive Sicilian Romanesque creation. Pointed arches embellish the interior that is protected by a well preserved exterior. A gallant tower characterizes each side of the façade. The interior is due to restorations from 1559, but even under these circumstances it still displays pointed arches of ancient granite columns. Byzantine art is still visible by means of the mosaics from the apse and the last bay of the choir. The image of the Pantocrator is a proof of great mastery and it receives well deserved acknowledgement.
Adjacent churches complete the series of architectural reminisces. Santa Maria dell’Odigitria, San Sebastiano, San Leonardo, Sant’Andrea, Oratory of the Santissimo Sacramento, Santissima Trinità, Santissima Annunziata and further names gather up in a clerical realm. The deepest mystery of all sights a construction made of serial apartments. It appears to be a domestic residence with a structure that reveals Cyclopean irregular blocks of limestone. The doorways confirm the Greek origin and help tracing the period of the building’s initiation.
Many other monuments are sprinkled all over Cefalu and make up quite an exhaustive legacy of ancient times. They create a sure path to follow in order to rewind former ages.
If you are on your way to discovering the Norman past make sure Sicily is your target as it offers a generous hand, and Cefalu is an important side of it.