In Sicily, the art of mosaic has reached heights of absolute mastery, leaving us works of unrivalled beauty and perfection.
For the Greeks, μουσαικ?ν (musaikòn = mosaics) were the art of the Muse. Small fragments of differently coloured decorative materials (and later gold and precious stones) were patiently assembled by divine hand, to give life to vivid pictorial compositions. Even today, after many millennia, they are astounding.
Sicily is mosaic heaven, you can find wonderful Roman and Byzantine mosaics, prestigious works of enormous value. Among these are the mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale, considered the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century and an invaluable milestone in the story of art.
There, entire mosaic floors of a richness and variety unique in the world, have been preserved intact. Then there is the immense mosaic cycle in the magnificent cathedrals of Cefalu and Monreale; and the precious interior decorations of the church of the Martorana, the Cappella Palatina and the Stanza di Re Ruggero in the Palazzo Reale.
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