Monreale Cathedral mosaics shortly to be restored to former glory

MONREALE, Italy — The mosaics of a mediaeval cathedral in Sicily, constructed by the island’s last Norman king, are set to regain their golden lustre due to cautious restoration work and new lighting.

The Monreale Cathedral, erected in 1174–89 near Palermo on the orders of King William II, is a UNESCO World Heritage site that mixes Western, Islamic and Byzantine sorts and is home to one in every of many world’s largest indoor mosaics.

Their highlight is the large depiction of “Christ Pantocrator” (really “ruler of all”) inside the apse, or half-dome, at the back of the cathedral. It is a typical Orthodox Christian icon, also present in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The glass tiles of the mosaics wished restoring because of harm from water infiltration, regional authorities acknowledged last 12 months, together with that work was slated to worth 1.1 million euros ($1.23 million), coated by European Union funds.

Scaffolding used by means of the restoration is predicted to be completely away from the cathedral by mid-October, whereas the model new lighting, provided by Austrian agency Zumtobel, is current course of testing and is due to be inaugurated in late November.

“A key focus is to highlight the rich colors of the mosaics, notably the dominant golden tones, whereas sustaining the lighting neutral on totally different surfaces to create a balanced seen experience,” Matteo Cundari, a Zumtobel authorities, acknowledged.

In response to legend, King William II fell asleep beneath a carob tree whereas looking out inside the woods near Monreale when the Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream and steered setting up a church on the spot.

The legend moreover acknowledged that after eradicating the tree a treasure was current in its roots, and its golden money have been used to finance the event.