Hotel Alberi del Paradiso - Cefalu' - Sicilia

C

efalu' is one of the most charming seaside towns in Sicily. It has a picturesque harbour from where you can observe the walled city’s sea front, with its characteristic arches that form shelters for the fishing boats. Located on the northern coast of Sicily, at one end of the Gulf of Termini Imerese, the town sprawls over a peninsula edged by cliffs that, to the east, are dominated by the "Rock", a limestone crag that juts out into the sea. The climate, typically Mediterranean, is characterized by hot, dry summers, mild winters and moderate rainfall. Cefalu is a resort of great interest to Italian and foreign tourists and a favourite destination for people going to Sicily on holiday. Besides being an important seaside resort, with a wide range of rocky and sandy beaches, it is also well known as a starting point for excursions into the mountains, as it is located inside the “Madonie” Park.
barretta1

The Cathedral

The CathedralThe cathedral, founded in 1131 at the behest of the Norman king Roger II, is a synthesis of several cultures. It was built by Norman architects and Arab craftsmen, conditioned by Byzantine liturgical prescriptions. After a period of decline, it was renovated in 1267. The layout has remained substantially intact: three naves in a Latin cross, which are divided by rows of sixteen columns with capitals in the Sicul-Norman style. The apsidal part of the church is decorated with beautiful, gold mosaics in a very elevated decorative style. You certainly will not be able to help but admire the incredible image of Christ Pantocrator that stands out with a suggestive stereoscopic effect on the hemispherical surface of the apse bowl. Beneath this you can also marvel at the Madonna, set among four archangels and the twelve apostles, portrayed in the soft hues of the Byzantine style. There are other mosaics on the side-walls from the late-1200s depicting prophets, the saints and the patriarchs.

The washing place (Lavatoio)

The washing place (Lavatoio)
The inhabitants called this celebrated washing place "'u ciumi" (river in Sicilian), but scholars have expressed many doubts about its medieval origin.
Until a few decades ago, this charming place was used for washing by women because of its cool running water. It was mentioned by Boccaccio who referred to it as "Cefaloide", which gives strength to the thesis that connects the etymology of the name of the town to water.
At the entrance, on the right hand side, at the foot of the stairs, there is a poem by Vincenzo Auria: "Here flows Cefalino, more salubrious than any other river, purer than silver, colder than snow". You go down a picturesque flight of stairs made of lava stones to a room with a low ceiling, which makes the washing place look like a cave. An imposing quantity of water gushes out of numerous mouths set in three walls.

The Osterio Magno

The Osterio Magno
The Osterio Magno, King Roger II's legendary residence (now restored and reopened as an exhibition centre), is a building that has some extremely interesting architectural features.
Knowledge of this building has further been enriched by the discovery of an exceptionally precious 16th century drawing that was probably done by Giovanni Ventimiglia, whose family owned the Osterio Magno from the 14th century onwards.
The architectural elements that have come to light, bear witness to the changes made in the building from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, while some vestiges of ancient Kephaloidion have been found in the basement.

 

 

The Mandralisca Museum

The Mandralisca Museum
This museum, situated on the first and second floors of a building in Via Mandralisca, and only recently open to the public, has one of the largest collections of archaeological artefacts.
The Museum also houses a library that contains about 6,000 volumes, including a lot of sixteenth- century texts, two incunabula, as well as history, literature, philosophy and nature books, and nineteenth-century newspapers. There is also a splendid numismatic collection, with coins from Lipari and Cefalu'.
In the art gallery you can find works of art from various periods. The most famous is the "Portrait of an Unknown Man" by Antonello da Messina.
When it comes to archaeology, many items come from Lipari (Aeolian Islands), among which there is one in particular that stands out and that is the famous "Vase of the tuna salesman". The vase is bell-shaped and the technique used was that of the "red figure". Furthermore, there is a very rare collection of shells, with 20,000 specimens from all over the world.

The Temple of Diana

The Temple of Diana
Diana is the goddess of the moon and water. The cistern, which forms the fulcrum of the megalithic edifice known as the Temple of Diana, dates back to the earliest historical times (around the ninth century B.C.) and has a dolmen-type lid.
It is an enclosure made out of big stone blocks, and consists of two rooms at the sides of a long corridor, at the end of which, facing west, you can find the only entrance, an elegantly moulded monolithic architrave.
The structure itself, which has always held a great fascination for travellers and scholars, was probably built when the frourion was set up, and was amply restored in the second century B.C. Its function, however, remains doubtful.
Nevertheless, it's more than likely that its original purpose was sacred, connected with local water worship, to which another should be added, probably defensive, in consideration of its geographical position.

The Castle

The Castle
On the top of the Rock there are ruins of a castle that, on the basis of archaeological data so far acquired, can be dated to the twelfth or thirteenth century, even though some sources have recorded its existence in the Byzantine age.
The building, which has a rectangular layout, and two towers, one to the north and one to the east, is further protected by a boundary wall which encompasses it.

 

 

...the sorroundings

About ten kms from Cefalu', after winding your way up a tortuous road through the wonderful smelling Mediterranean vegetation, you reach the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna.
The name comes from the Arab word "Gebel" that means mountain. The area used to be famous for its production of manna, which was obtained by cutting a slit in the barks of ash trees and letting the manna percolate through the slits, from where it was then gathered.
The Sanctuary was built in the XVII century and is part of a complex where Capuchin monks live; there is also a small, but interesting, museum.
About twenty kms from Cefalu', well up in the Madonia mountains, nestles the lovely little village of Gratteri. It's a small little mountain community surrounded by thick, verdant woods; its medieval urban centre is still intact.

Hotel Resorts

logo-calette 
logo-sicilyresorts

 

You can find us

Booking.com Trip Advisor
Touting Club Italiano logocharmerelax

Facebook

You are here Excursions Cefalu' and Surroundings