t Illustration of Palermo’s oft-rebuilt Arab-Norman cathedral
g West Palermo g Contents
Palermo has been bequeathed a cathedral that remains one of the most astonishing in the world. Vaulting across a grand piazza, it is an Arab-Norman architectural wonder.
t Illustration of Palermo’s oft-rebuilt Arab-Norman cathedral
Experience West Palermo
t Honey-stoned Cattedrale di Palermo, softly lit against the dawn sky
Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, the cathedral stands on the site of an Early Christian basilica, later a mosque. Built in 1179–85, and despite frequent rebuildings and alterations, some of the original Norman structure remains; this can be seen under the small majolica-tiled cupolas, with the typical arched crenellation decoration on the wall tops. The exteriors of the apses have maintained much of their original character, with interlaced arches and small columns. In the late 1700s the nave was widened and the central cupola was added. As a result of the mixture of styles, the right-hand side forms a kind of “carved history” of the city. Opposite the façade, on the other side of the street, is the medieval campanile, where the tiara of Constance of Aragón is now kept.
A 22-m (72-ft) brass sundial is set into the floor of the cathedral’s Chapel of Santa Rosalia.
Experience West Palermo
Alterations carried out in the 18th century gave the interior a Neo-Classical look. Of the many chapels, the most important are the first two on the right-hand side of the nave with the imperial tombs, and the Chapel of Santa Rosalia, where the saint’s remains are kept in a silver coffer on the altar.