A new Cathedral

The transformation also affected the chapels and the side aisles, with the relocation of some of the rooms and, in particular, the movement of the [approfondimenti id="48173" testo_link="southern portico"] by about five metres towards the forecourt. Small domes were placed on the side aisles to give...
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The Great Restoration

Once the clergy's appeal was accepted, the royal architect [approfondimenti id="48031" testo_link="Ferdinando Fuga"] was commissioned to draw up a major project for the “restoration” of Palermo Cathedral. The project was then implemented in the construction work, carried out from 1781 to 1801 by...
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The Cathedral over the centuries

The common fate of most Romanesque churches was that they were transformed in the following centuries according to the style of the time. Some were profoundly modified and others were decorated with added compositions, without altering their original character. A similar fate befell the Palermo Cat...
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The senses tell The central body: the aisles

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Interior decorations

According to the historical record: "In 1185, Archbishop [approfondimenti id="48015" testo_link="Gualtiero"] had images of saints painted on the ceilings, beams and their modillions against a gold background, either in their entirety or up to their navels. Several images of saints have been painted ...
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A remarkable ceiling

The central hall and aisles were covered by wooden roofs with massive oak beams, lacquered and decorated with resplendent shades of silver, white, yellow and black. In the concave and blue border, there were inscriptions in Greek characters, according to [approfondimenti id="48276" testo_link="histo...
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Worship services

The central hall, in the medieval period, was used for its canonical function, i.e. the place for the assembly of Christians attending the sacred functions, while the two side aisles took on the role of a service ambulatory. Until the 15th century, the interior layout of the church remained almost u...
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The side aisles

The wings to the side of the hall were originally covered with a wooden roof; in the early eighteenth century they were profoundly transformed with the enlargement of [approfondimenti id="48101" testo_link="some chapels"] and the creation of new rooms for the clergy. The wooden roof was dismantled...
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The longest aisle

The Palermo Cathedral had the distinction of being the largest church in terms of length, compared to other contemporary churches in Sicily, with reference to the [approfondimenti id="48081" testo_link="cathedral buildings in Cefalù, Catania and Messina"]. It is likely that this particular feature ...
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