Just before Christmas the BBC News website reported on thealerestoration work that has been undertaken on the late twelfth century mosaics that decorate the interior of the cathedral at Monreale in Sicily. This has involved auto cleaning but also conserving and restoring the spectacular series which cover the whole interior of the building.
The article can be seen at It's pure beauty' - Italy's largest medieval mosaics restored
The restoration project is also covered in slightly more detail on the Medievalists.net site at Medieval Cathedral Transformed with Stunning New Lighting
Wikipedia has a history and description of the cathedral at Monreale Cathedral and a separate article about the mosaics, which are the especial glory of the building, can be seen at Monreale Cathedral mosaics
The cathedral started as an abbey founded by King William II following a dream or vision in which the Virgin Mary appeared to him and suggested he should found the church. It was rapidly promoted to being a cathedral with an Archbishop, and was to be the burial place of the King and of his father.
Cathedrals with monastic chapters were rare on the continent, but quite frequently to be found in medieval England. The fact that the King’s consort, Joanna, was a daughter of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine may have influenced the decision, as may the known presence in Sicily of English clergy and administrators.
A further link to England is the prominent figure amongst them mosaic saints of St Thomas of Canterbury, who had been martyred only a very few years before the establishment of the monastery at Monreale.
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