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

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

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

Now, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has undergone extensive restoration to return it to its former glory.

The Monreale mosaics were intended to impress, humble and inspire visitors descending from the central nave, following the fashion of Constantinople, the capital of the surviving Roman Empire in the East.

They cover 6,400 square meters and contain about 2.2 kilograms of solid gold.

The restoration lasted over a year, and in that time the cathedral was turned into a construction site, with a maze of scaffolding installed over the altar and transept.

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

He then repaired some tiles that had lost their enamel and gold leaf, leaving them looking like black spots underneath.

Ultimately, he intervened in areas where tiles were peeling off the wall and secured 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, not unlike an apprehensive father.

“The team did this almost by their toes,” he told me.

“Sometimes, there were some unexpected issues and they had to halt operations while a solution was found.

“For example, when they reached the ceiling, they realized that in the past it had been covered with a layer of varnish that had yellowed. They had to peel it off, literally, like cling film.”

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

“There was a very old system there. The lighting was low, the energy costs were through the roof and it in no way did justice to the beauty of the mosaics,” says Matteo Cundari.

He is the country manager of Zumtobel, the company tasked with installing the new lights.

He added, “The main challenge was to make sure that we would highlight the mosaics and that we would create something that would meet the different needs of the cathedral.”

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

The cost of this first tranche of works is 1.1 million euros. A second one is being planned focusing on the central nave.

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

He says, “When you look at it, you’re just overwhelmed with awe and you can’t really think about anything else. It’s pure beauty.”

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