Photos of the Beautiful Byzantine Mosaics of Cefalu Cathedral

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Photos of the Beautiful Byzantine Mosaics of Cefalu Cathedral. The Mosaics of the Norman Romanesque Cathedral of Cefalu. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Beautiful Byzantine Mosaics of Cefalu Cathedral.

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Photos of Cefalù Cathedral Byzantine Mosaics (Duomo di Cefalù) Cefalù, Sicily.

Cefalu Cathedral

The cathedral was erected between 1131 and 1240 in the Norman Romanesque architectural style. It was built during the reign Roger II a Norman Kings of Sicily.

According to tradition, the building was erected after a vow made by the King of Sicily, Roger II, after he escaped from a storm to land on the city’s beach.

Romanesque Style

Cefalu Cathedral was built in characteristic Norman Romanesque style. It has two square towers above the facade which leads into a naive with two aisles. At the eastern end of the naive is a semi circular apse with a half domed roof.

Christ Pantocrator

The apse has a depiction of Christ Pantocrator. In his left hand he hold an open bible and his right hand is making the Greek Orthodox Chi Rho blessing sign. His Thumb is touching his third finger and two forefingers are outstretched. This makes the shape of of the Greek letters Chi Rho one of the earliest forms of Christogram, and used by Emperor Constantine as a military standard. 

In the register below Christ is a depiction of the Virgin Mary flanked by angels on both sides. Below this are two further registers with figures depicting the saints.

The style of the mosaic is characteristic of the Byzantine Roman mosaic of the period. The figures are depicted against a gold background

Cefalu Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site