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Monreale Cathedral: Interior view of nave looking towards apse mosiac

Date

Circa 1910

Creator

G. Massiot & cie
Part of: Architectural Lantern Slides of Italy
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries

Inside, the nave appears unusually wide, with large pointed arcades supported by antique columns and capitals opening on to the aisles.

Cloister is now a State Art Institute for mosaic work. It was formerly a Benedictine monastery. The foundation of the monastic house of S Maria Nuova by King William II of Sicily marked the climax of Norman ecclesiastical and artistic patronage on the island. The site chosen was on a hill overlooking Palermo. In 1176 one hundred Cluniac monks, under the first abbot, Theobald (reigned 1176-1178), came at William's invitation from the abbey of Santa Trinità at Cava dei Tirreni near Salerno. It is now known chiefly for the mosaic decoration of its church; but the cultural diversity of Norman rule in Sicily is exemplified by the contrast between the Byzantine mosaics and the sculpture of the cloister capitals, which is predominantly Romanesque. Sculptors from Lombardy, and further afield in the Latin world, Greeks from Sicily and the Italian mainland, and Sicilian Arabs all seem to have worked there. William II, who died in 1189, was the last ruler to be buried here; intended as the 'Saint-Denis of the Hautevilles', Monreale did not maintain its position after the downfall of the dynasty.

Images

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Metadata

Creator
G. Massiot & cie
Date
Circa 1910
Publisher
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries
Material Type
photographs
Conditions Governing Access
To view the physical lantern slide, please contact the Architecture Library to arrange an appointment

Metadata

Campus Location
Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries
Link to Finding Aid
https://curate.nd.edu/show/j673126059s
This digital collection may not include all items or all of the information available about the source collection. See the finding aid for more information.

Metadata

Contact Us

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Architecture Library, Hesburgh Libraries at asklib@nd.edu.


Also from Architectural Lantern Slides of Italy

Santa Maria delle Grazie, Brescia: Detail of main portal and doors

Santa Maria delle Grazie, Brescia: Detail of main portal and doors

Castelvecchio Bridge: Overall view to tower on right bank

Castelvecchio Bridge: Overall view to tower on right bank

Gate of Saint Nicholas, Florence: Overall view

Gate of Saint Nicholas, Florence: Overall view

Milan Cathedral: View of spire, octagonal cupola and transept and chapel roofs

Milan Cathedral: View of spire, octagonal cupola and transept and chapel roofs

San Marco: Plan of San Marco

San Marco: Plan of San Marco

San Zeno Maggiore, Verona: Interior, nave looking towards altar

San Zeno Maggiore, Verona: Interior, nave looking towards altar

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