If the 68,000 square feet of mosaic tiles on the walls of Monreale Cathedral don’t mesmerize you, perhaps the floor-designs will! Created by Byzantine-Arab-Norman craftsmen in the late 12th century, William II’s temple offers endless inspiration. The red stone is called red porphyry. The ancient emperors associated it with power during the Roman Empire. It…
Tag: floor
Dizzying Steps
Norman king Roger II established the Cappella Palatina in 1130. The chapel, located inside Palermo’s Palazzo dei Normanni, is in and of itself a treasure chest of extraordinary mosaics. This is one example, the dizzying, inlaid stone and marble floors.
Watch Your Step
Every inch of the Cappella Palatina is embellished with intricate mosaics of inlaid marble, colorful stones, and golden glass tiles. This floor detail illustrates the multi-cultural mix (Norman, Arab, Greek, and Byzantine) that existed during Roger II’s 12th-century rule, when the Palazzo dei Normanni’s chapel was built.
13th Century Laser Show
The spellbinding inlaid floor of the Cathedral at Monreale is a tremendous example of Arab and Norman architectural and decorative styles. Semi-precious stone and marble pieces create dizzying and spectacular mosaic designs. Imagine a world without video games and computer generated design… this is the 13th century version of a laser show!
San Cataldo in Palermo Boasts Spellbinding Mosaics
The inlaid floor of Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo in Palermo is a spectacular example of Arab and Norman architectural and decorative styles. Stone and marble pieces create spellbinding pavement mosaics. The church was built in the 1150s by Maio of Bari, William I’s top emir, or commander.
Caltagirone Designs for Ceramic Floor, Noto.
Ceramic majolica-tile floor (style: from Caltigirone) of the nuns’ quarters of the Baroque era Chiesa di Santa Chiara in Noto. #chiesasantachiara #noto #siracusa #ceramics #ceramica #ceramic #ceramiche #tiles #tile #majolica #maiolica #pavimento #floor #art #design #sicily #sicilia #siciliabedda #sizilien #italy #italia #italien #sicilytourism #sicily_tourism #sicilytravel #sicily_travel #ig_sicily #siciliaph #siciliafoto #fotosicilia #igerssicilia #instasicilia #igfriends_sicilia #gf_italy #ig_italy…
This “ristorantino” (little restaurant-pub, as it’s called by the owner) in Santa Flavia possesses a tiled floor in a design-style that was common in Sicily in the 19th and early 20th centuries. #experiencesicily #santaflavia #palermo #sicily #ceramics #ceramica #ceramic #tiles #tile #majolica #maiolica #pavimento #floor #art #design #osteria #trattoria #sicilia #sizilien #siciliabedda #italy #italia #italien…
The ceramic tile floors of 18th century villas, such as this one from Villa Rammacca in Bagheria, are works of art. #sicily #sicily_travel #sicilia #sicily_tourism #italy #ig_sicily #italia #bagheria #ceramics #ceramica #siciliaph #floor #villarammacca #tiles #art #design #villa