Palermo's Cathedral - Italy

    Palermo's Cathedral is one of nine religious and civic structures located on the northern coast of Sicily classified in 2015 as UNESCO WHS, under the name Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale.

© SIMEPHOTO - ph. Giovanni Simeone - all rights reserved

    The cathedral is located in the oldest sacred area of Palermo, where the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs had previously built their own places of worship. When the Normans took power, they immediately replaced the Muslim mosque with a Christian church. However, the archbishop of Palermo, Gualtiero Offamilio, had the building demolished in 1184 and began the construction of a new splendid cathedral, a symbol of religious power in the city. A year later, the church was consecrated and dedicated to Maria Assunta.

© Huber Images / Bartuccio

DE-13872777, sent by Dan.

    Over the course of the following centuries, additions and restorations modified the original building. This union of apparently incongruous different styles gives life to a grandiose and harmonious whole. - in: https://www.visitsicily.info

    A major attraction for anyone visiting Palermo’s Cathedral are the royal tombs. Particularly the tomb of Emperor Frederick II and his family members, Emperors Henry VI of Hohenstaufen and Constance of Altavilla. The cathedral is now considered Palermo's most important place of worship.