Situated on the northern coast of Sicily, just under a crag of la Rocca ('the rock' which overlooks the town), Cefalù has narrow streets, sometimes steep and circuitous, small courtyards, arches and little fishermen's houses which appear to rise from the sea, rendering one of the most picturesque images of Sicily. The whole territory around Cefalù shows settlements of primitive communities, as proved by the findings of the caves opening on the eastern side of the Rocca, and by the Temple of Diana, which is also on the Rocca and was built approximately at the end of the fifth century B.C. In the vicinity of the temple we can see the structure of a cistern, with dolmen-type roofing, from the ninth century B.C. The origin of the urban centre, which stretches between the Rocca and the sea, goes back to a period of time spanning from the end of the fifth to the beginning of the sixth century B.C., as witnessed by the findings brought to light by the archaeological excavations done over the last years. The walls on the Rocca were built under the Byzantine domination. With the arrival of the Normans, Cefalù knew a period of great splendour. The town was redesigned following a new and coherent urban plan and enriched with one of the most superb monuments of Christianity, its Cathedral. Furthermore the bishopric of Cefalù was also founded and it became a diocese of the Madonie area. The construction of the Cathedral, with its original Sicilian-Norman style, was initiated in 1131 at the wish of King Roger II. In this majestic work the cultures of different peoples meet and mix: Byzantine, Arab, Norman. The most striking part of the Cathedral, besides its two majestic towers, is the marvellous mosaic representing the Christ Pantocrator in pure Byzantine style, which covers the curve of the apse. In addition to the Temple of Diana and the Cathedral, special mention has to be made of the Osterio Magno, whose elegant trifora Gothic arched window (from the fourteenth century) can be admired from the main thoroughfare Corso Ruggero, and also of the Medieval Washing Place, in via Vittorio Emanuele, used by the local people until a few decades ago. The water running under the houses of Cefalù emerges here through a series of mouths ranged around the three walls, and after having flowed through many stone-made basins it drains into the sea. Charming and characteristic are the narrow, maze-like and often steep streets north of Corso Ruggero Another place which deserves a careful visit is the Mandralisca Museum, where a precious heritage is kept and divided according to the different subjects: paintings, archaeological findings, numismatics, malacology, ornithology and a library. CEFALÙ…IN SPRING AND SUMMER Like many other Italian cities, Cefalù lives four different lives during the year, according to the four different seasons. As it is a sea town, life is more animated in spring and in summer because those are the favourite seasons for holidays, when the small Norman town is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists. The reason for this can be easily guessed: Cefalù is a concentration of all the natural, historical, artistic, and cultural beauties spread across Sicily. Visitors have the opportunity to know this marvellous and eccentric island of the Mediterranean Sea, which so many civilizations competed for and which is strongly characterized by the different peoples that over the centuries wanted to conquer it. Springtime turns Cefalù into an explosion of colours and perfumes; it seems that Nature wants to wrap the town in her royal mantle, as tribute to its splendid history. Therefore the predominant colour is a bright green, interspersed and dotted with an infinite number of wonderful plants and flowers of marvellous colours. And Nature does not limit herself to just this: in order to better impress these wonders in people's minds, Nature spreads through the air a sequence of inebriating fragrances, from citrus flowers to the different varieties of wild flowers, from broom bushes to wild lilies, from the smell of cut grass to the iodine of the sea. CEFALÙ…IN AUTUMN AND WINTER Thanks to its regal background, Cefalù enjoys a rich historical, cultural, and artistic heritage which makes it a desired destination for a different type of tourism from the traditional seaside summer holiday. And it is especially during autumn and winter when these beauties can be better appreciated. First of all the Cathedral, built at the wish of King Roger II (XII cent.) on the ruins of a Byzantine Mosque, has an interior which is enriched by mosaics, paintings, columns and capitals, and by a convent cloister of marvellous beauty. The Osterio Magno, an ancient building, today is the headquarters of a museum but originally it was the King's house, and later also the residence of the Princes of Ventimiglia. Another very important museum is that named after the Baron Mandralisca, which houses numerous archaeological findings from the area, and also the well known 'Portrait of the Unknown Man', attributed to Antonello da Messina. Not to be forgotten the Medieval Washing Place (see introduction) Dominating the heritage of the small town as if to protect it, is la Rocca, a hill about 500 meters high with a fortification wall on top. Within the walls are found the remains of several constructions: the castle of Roger II; a megalithic building (Temple of Diana); a convent with adjoining storage rooms and a furnace. The Rocca also hides caves and grottos, some of them used as cisterns for rainwater, which offer striking natural environments, rich in stalactites and stalagmites. Not far from the town, there is the well-known Gibilmanna, an extended forest area from where a church, the Santuario di Gibilmanna, rises with an adjoined Franciscan Convent and an ethno-anthropological museum, where a collection of precious masterpieces of Arte Povera [art of the poor people] is displayed. Bookings and further information: e-mail: booking@directSicily.com. 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