I know you're probably thinking, oh, she's going to talk about the infamous Norman invasion of England in 1066. But no. I am going to feature one of the architectural delights of Cefalu that is the result of the Norman invasion of Sicily in 1061. This was when Roger de Hauteville crossed the strait of Messina and made his way into Sicily. It took them around 30 years to conquer the Saracens who had had their turn at controlling the island. King Roger (which always sounds so silly... a king named Roger? I mean, really), once everything settled down, decided that Cefalu was a prime spot. And it is. It had an imposing landscape and was perfectly situated, looking over the Tyrrhenian sea.
The cathedral was erected around 1131 and took almost 100 years to fully complete. It is built in the Norman style. Blocky, castellated, small windows, roman arches.
The staircase that leads up to it is without any kind of railing, which actually makes for an aesthetic that is very refined.
Built in a classic basilica style, there is a central nave with secondary aisles on either side. It's cavernous and cool on a hot day. The roof is wooden and coffered.Afterwards, lunch with some of my friends from the school. I had pasta with butter and sage and a selection of grilled vegetables, onions, eggplant and zucchini. So delicious.
Lastly, since the 4th has passed, I would like to leave you with this superb poem by Naomi Sahib Nye:
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