“It’s pure beauty” – Italy’s largest medieval mosaic restored

On a hill overlooking the city of Palermo in Sicily is a lesser-known gem of Italian art: the Cathedral of Montreal.

Built in the 12th century during Norman rule, it boasts the largest Byzantine-style mosaic in Italy, second only to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site has now undergone extensive restoration to restore it to its former glory.

The Montreal mosaics were meant to impress, humble, and inspire the visitor walking down the central nave, following the fashion of Constantinople, the surviving capital of the Roman Empire in the east.

They cover more than 6,400 square meters and contain about 2.2 kg of pure gold.

The restoration lasted more than a year, and during this time the cathedral turned into a kind of construction site with a labyrinth of scaffolding installed on the altar and 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 mosaic over the years.

They then repaired some of the tiles that had lost their enamel and gold leaf, making them look like black spots underneath.

Finally, they intervened where the tiles were peeling from the wall and fixed them.

Working on the mosaic was a challenge and a great responsibility, says Father Nicola Gallio.

He was a priest here for 17 years and closely followed the restoration, not unlike a wary father.

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

“Sometimes there were some unforeseen problems and they had to stop work while they found a solution.

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

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

“There was a very old system. There was little lighting, the energy costs were exorbitant, and it in no way justified the beauty of the mosaic,” says Matteo Cundari.

He is the head of Zumtobel, which was commissioned to install the new lights.

“The main challenge was to make sure that we set the mosaics apart and create something that meets the different needs of the cathedral,” he adds.

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

This first tranche of works cost 1.1 million euros. Next, the construction of the second, oriented to the central nave, is planned.

I ask Father Gallo what it was like to see the scaffolding finally come down and the mosaic shine in a new light. He laughs and shrugs.

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

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