‘It’s pure beauty’ – Italy’s largest medieval mosaics restored

On a hill overlooking the city of Palermo, Sicily, stands a lesser-known gem of Italian art: the Cathedral of Monreale.

Built in the 12th century under Norman rule, it houses the largest Byzantine-style mosaics in Italy, the second in the world after those of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Today, this UNESCO World Heritage site has undergone extensive restoration to restore it to its former glory.

Monreale’s mosaics were meant to impress, humble and inspire the visitor as they walked through the central nave, much like Constantinople, the capital of the surviving Roman Empire to the east.

They extend over more than 6,400 square meters and contain approximately 2.2 kg of solid gold.

The restoration lasted more than a year and during this time the cathedral was transformed into a sort of construction site, with a maze of scaffolding erected on the altar and the transept.

Local experts from the Italian Ministry of Culture carried out a series of interventions, starting with the removal of a thick layer of dust that had accumulated on the mosaics over the years.

Next, they repaired some tiles that had lost their glaze and gold leaf, making them look like black dots when viewed from below.

Finally, they went to the areas where the tiles were coming off the wall and fixed them.

Working on the mosaics was a challenge and a great responsibility, says Father Nicola Gaglio.

He has been a priest here for 17 years and has followed the restoration closely, a bit like a worried father.

“The team approached this work almost tiptoe,” he tells me.

“Sometimes there were unforeseen problems and they had to suspend operations while they found a solution.

“For example, when they got to the ceiling, they realized that it was once covered with a layer of varnish that had turned yellowish. They had to peel it off, literally, like cling film.”

The mosaics were last partially restored in 1978, but this time the intervention was much broader in scope and included the replacement of the old lighting system.

“There was a very old system. The light was weak, the energy costs were exorbitant and it in no way did justice to the beauty of the mosaics,” explains Matteo Cundari.

He is the Country Manager of Zumtobel, the company responsible for installing the new lights.

“The main challenge was to highlight the mosaics and create something that meets the different needs of the cathedral,” he adds.

“We also wanted to create a completely reversible system, which could be replaced in 10 or 15 years without damaging the building.”

This first phase of work cost 1.1 million euros. A second, centered on the central nave, is planned soon.

I ask Father Gaglio what it feels like to see the scaffolding finally come down and the mosaics shine in their new light. He laughs and shrugs.

“When you see it, you’re overwhelmed with admiration and you can’t really think about anything. It’s pure beauty,” he says.

“It is a responsibility to be the guardian of such a world heritage. This world needs beauty, because it reminds us of the good in humanity, of what it means to be a man and a female.”