Monreale Cathedral:
The Byzantine Mosaics of the Apse and the Silver Altar

The byzantine mosaics of the apse and the silver altar. The Cathedral of Monreale, or Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova, was built from 1174 at the behest of William II of Altavilla, king of Sicily from 1166 till 1189, and it is famous for the splendid mosaics that adorn the interior. The mosaic decoration, probably realised between 1180 and 1190, covers 6,340 square meters and it is the largest one in Italy. It depicts scenes from the Old and New Testament and culminates in the central apse with the evocative vision of Christ Pantocrator. In this gigapixel you can see the entire apse with, in the upper part, the mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, the Virgin enthroned surrounded by two archangels and a theory of saints. In the lower part, you can see the silver altar made by the Roman silversmith Luigi Valadier in 1771 and commissioned by Archbishop Francesco Testa. The six gilded silver statues above the altar represent St. Rosalia, St. Benedict, St. Peter, St. Castrense, St. Louis (King Louis IX of France).