Itinerary B
Palermo
touch

[3] Touching the bell tower

Touching the bell tower means touching smooth and rough surfaces. The decorations, in fact, determine an alternation that makes the construction impressive and dynamic. The shapes engraved on the bell tower are varied: clovers, interlaces, circles, rhombuses and even star motifs, the latter being typical of the Islamic style. The durability of the stone can also be seen in other decorative elements: in the bell tower there are capitals, made by different craftsmen but all ascribable to the Middle Ages: The small columns, especially in the upper parts, give a contrasting effect to the volume.