ANTONINO BARTUCCIO/FOTOTECA 9X12
BLENDING TRADITIONS
The adaptability of the new architecture is clearly visible in the Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The island’s
new Norman rulers (the recent conquerors of England) blended north, south, east, and west in this magnificent building begun in the
1170s. The Romanesque style is evident in its floor plan and rows of rounded arches mounted on Corinthian columns. The mosaics were
executed by Byzantine craftsmen, and the wooden coffered ceiling is a nod to the style of the island’s previous Muslim rulers.