Christ Pantocrator in Cefalù Cathedral – Sicily by Silva Wischeropp

This architectural photograph was taken on 9 April 2026 during my Easter trip, in the late afternoon, using a NIKON D800 (lens: NIKKOR 24–70 mm f/2.8).

The Basilica della Trasfigurazione – better known as Cefalù Cathedral – is the town’s landmark and a must-see for every visitor to Cefalù. It is a tribute to beauty that has withstood the test of time, wars and modernity, as it preserves the traces of Arab-Norman influence on the island.

It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 and is situated in the heart of the old town, in the square of the same name, where it rises in all its splendour against the backdrop of the Rocca di Cefalù, which looms behind it. The building, flanked by two imposing towers, was commissioned in 1131 by the first King of Sicily, Roger II, and consecrated almost a century and a half later (1267).

The Norman-Romanesque style that characterises it and makes it the finest example of its era is evident not only externally in the two imposing side towers in the Arabic style, but above all inside.

The interior of Cefalù Cathedral is in the shape of a Latin cross and is divided into three naves supported by imposing and solemn granite columns. The central apse, however, is the place where art, history and wonder converge, making the cathedral one of the most incredible examples of medieval religious architecture in Sicily.

It is covered with precious Byzantine mosaics, which span approximately 600 m² and were created between 1148 and 1166 by masters from Constantinople. The dominant figure is Christ Pantocrator, who stands out solemnly in the apse, followed by the praying Madonna, flanked by the four archangels.