Tag: Byzantine mosaics

Classics

Palermo’s Medieval Mosaics Inspired by Sassanian Art

By Patrick Hunt –  In the Palazzo Normanni of Palermo, the uniquely famous gold background mosaics of the Salle di Roger were designed by artists who either consciously or unconsciously evoked Sassanian Persian motifs that were also known from earlier Byzantine and imported silks. The Sassanian Empire (224-651 AD) followed […]

Classics

Monreale, The Golden Temple

By Staff High above Palermo near Monte Caputo is one of Christendom’s jewels: Monreale Cathedral. It has been called the “Golden Temple” for centuries, at least since the poet Bartoldo Sirilli published these lines in 1596: “Like a crown on the distant mount on marble base a golden temple lies…” As […]