Cefalù Cathedral

Cefalù Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Cefalù Cathedral stands on a square in the town of Cefalù, on the northern coast of Sicily, about an hour east of Palermo, at the foot of the huge rock called La Rocca, and entry to the cathedral is free, while the cloister, the treasury and the towers can be visited with a ticket. The cathedral is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedral churches of Cefalù and Monreale.

Cefalù is a popular seaside town, with a sandy beach, narrow medieval streets, a medieval washhouse, the Lavatoio, and the ruins of the Temple of Diana on La Rocca, reached by a walking path. Trains from Palermo take about an hour, and day tours often combine Cefalù with Monreale or the Madonie mountains. The cathedral is active, and modest dress is required. Tickets for the cloister and towers are sold at the entrance on the left of the cathedral.

Visiting Cefalù Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in 1131 by the Norman king Roger II, according to legend in fulfilment of a vow made when he survived a storm at sea and landed on the beach at Cefalù, and he intended it as his burial place. It was built in a mixture of Norman, Arab and Byzantine styles, with a fortress-like facade flanked by two massive towers. Inside, the nave has columns with Roman capitals and a wooden ceiling painted with Arab motifs. The apse holds the cathedral's greatest treasure, a Byzantine mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, made by Greek craftsmen around 1145, one of the finest images of Christ in Byzantine art, with a gentle, human expression, holding an open book with Greek and Latin inscriptions.

Below him are mosaics of the Virgin, archangels and apostles. The cloister, with carved double columns, is Romanesque. The treasury displays vestments and silver. The mosaics of the apse also include figures of the prophets and saints. The cathedral's towers flank a portico, added in the fifteenth century, with arches and columns. The nave's columns are made of granite and marble, and some come from ancient buildings. A modern stained glass cycle, installed in the twenty-first century, fills the windows. The cloister's capitals show biblical scenes and fantastic animals. The cathedral's crucifix is painted on wood. The towers can be visited on guided tours. The square in front of the cathedral is lined with palm trees and cafes.

Cefalù Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with a break at lunchtime. Cefalù is busy in summer, when beachgoers fill the town, and mornings are quieter for the cathedral. Spring and autumn are pleasant for walking up La Rocca. The feast of the Holy Saviour, the town's patron, in early August, brings processions and a festival with fishermen's boats. Sunset over the beach, with the cathedral and the rock behind, is beautiful. Allow about forty-five minutes for the cathedral and cloister, and walk through the old town to the medieval washhouse. The Mandralisca Museum, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral, holds Antonello da Messina's Portrait of an Unknown Man.