We awoke to a stunning sunrise over Palermo.
On our way back to CataniA, we stopped at Cefalù, one of the most beautiful small towns in Sicily, located on the northern coast. This medieval town offers so many picturesque squares, streets and views and was chosen as the location for the film Cinema Paradiso.
For the Greeks, it was Kephaloidion,“head” or “headland” (most likely referring to its promontory), and the Romans knew it as Coephaledium. The Arabs called it Gafludi, “fortified city with abundant waters”.
The town is dominated by a monumental rock rising to a height of 270 metres. The Phoenicians called it the promontory of Hercules.
In the heart of the town sits the Duomo, a gigantic cathedral commissioned by Ruggero II.
Construction of the Cathedral started in 1131, in a Norman architectural style which would be more accurately called Sicilian Romanesque.
The interior was undergoing renovation, but I was able to snap the marvelous Byzantine mosaic image of Christ Pantocrator (as it is called) behind all the scaffolding.
An interesting find, as we strolled the narrow streets, was the medieval washhouse, entirely dug into the rock and in daily use until not long ago.
Beautiful mountains and farmland as we crossed central Sicily on our way to Catania.
