...The Seaside

The city of the promontory, as Cefalu' is called, derives its name from the ancient Cephaloedium (from the Greek Kefale, which means head). The name is suggested by the profile of the escarpment, Monte Kafè, rising behind the cathedral. The remains of archaic fortifications and the so-called temple of Diana at the mountain's summit are the most evident remains of a prehistoric Hellenic settlement. In 307 BCE Syracuse seized and held the city until the Roman conquest of Sicily in 254 BCE. Half way between Palermo and Capo d' Orlando, Cefalù has retained its medieval appearance around the Norman cathedral, which was built by Roger II in the 12th century. The narrow streets of the city centre are lined with buildings featuring elaborate architectural decoration.

The Cathedral of Cefalu' is not, as with other Sicilian churches, a combination of a longitudinal and centralized floor plan. It is a straightforward Romanesque basilica with a transept, partly vaulted and partly covered with an open woodwork roof. The main difference in ground plan, compared with later Sicilian structures, lies in the treatment of the crossing. This is not a perfect square, nor is it emphasized by its height. The crossing is not conceived as the principal center of the building.
The vaulted parts of the church are heavily buttressed on the outside. The present wooden roof of the nave is lower than was originally executed. The arch which was meant to connect it with the crossing is higher than the present roof of the nave and is walled up on the outside. The perfect insertion of the larger monument amongst its diminutive neighbors is surprising when seen from the rock. Little contrast is noticeable, yet the simple architecture of the surrounding houses exalts the magisterial beauty of the cathedral.Typically Sicilian features are the columns set into angles in the eastern part of the church and the exterior decoration of the main apse and the transepts with intersecting arches. There is an inner gallery running around the top of the transepts. The aisles of the nave are divided by an arcade of stilted "Saracenic" arches on classical capitals.
The western façade and narthex (porch) weren't finished until the 15th Century. The massive towers which flank the facade have been called Norman, but have parallels in southern Italy. The decoration of the facade is Suabian. The façade of the cathedral and its wide courtyard are portrayed here in a popular 19th Century lithograph.

The cloister of Cefalu' can be dated to 1160-70 and is the first Sicilian example of its kind. Accessed from inside the cathedral through a door near the belfry, the cloister is made up of binal columns surmounted by pointed arches.

Sharp contrasts to the Norman models are found in the Paleo-Christian carvings in the capitals. The columns are also more slender than their Provençal counterparts and, of course, the arches are pointed. At Cefalu', the artisans knew well how to conserve their glorious uniqueness.

There are also numerous churches, reflecting the town status as a leading bishopric. The fishermens quarter, with its old houses clustered along the seafront, is very appealing, as is the long beach with fine sand, considered to be one of the most beautiful stretches on the northern coast.