Cefalù

Overview

Cefalù is one of the most attractive cities in Sicily. Thanks to the strategic importance of the area protected by a rock, and to the prolific ground, there were already settlements during the prehistoric era. Their presence is attested by the evidences discovered in the caves of the eastern side of the rock. The story of the urban center only starts in the V century BC. At that time, date back the remains of megalithic walls surrounding the city at the foot of the rock. The ancient name of Cefalù, Kephaloidion, probably derives from the Greek Kefalas, which means "head." The Duomo (Cathedral) SS. Salvatore dominates the square and plays an important role in the urban organization of the city, as its size stands out on the other buildings, expressing and emphasizing the authority of religious power it represents. Inside, the apse, the transept and the adjacent walls are decorated with golden mosaics that culminate in the great Cristo Pantocratore, a perfect example of pure Byzantine style and production, that is perhaps the most sublime portray of Christ in the Christian art. Below are the Virgin, the Angels, the Apostles, all arranged according to the criteria of the liturgical hierarchy.