Mezzogiorno The Normans began constructing castles, their trademark architectural piece, in Italy from an early date.
William Iron Arm built one at an unidentified location (Stridula) in
Calabria in 1045. After the death of
Robert Guiscard in 1085, the
Mezzogiorno (peninsular southern Italy) experienced a series of civil wars and fell under the control of increasingly weaker princes. Revolts characterised the region until well into the twelfth century and minor lords sought to resist ducal or royal power from within their own castles. In the
Molise, the Normans embarked on their most extensive castle-building programme and introduced the
opus gallicum technique to Italy. Their clever use of the local stone artisans, together with the vast riches amassed from their enslaved population, made such tremendous feats possible, some as majestic as those of the ancient Roman structures they tried to emulate. Besides the
encastellation of the countryside, the Normans erected several religious buildings which still survive. They edified the shrine at
Monte Sant'Angelo and built a
mausoleum to the
Hauteville family at
Venosa. They also built many new Latin monasteries, including the famous foundation of
Sant'Eufemia Lamezia. Other examples of great importance are the portal of the
Shrine of Mary Queen of Anglona and the ambulatory and radiating chapels of the
Aversa Cathedral. Here is a list of Norman architecture in the Mezzogiorno : • Castle of Circello. • Castle Monforte (Campobasso). •
Basilica of St. Peter Alli Marmi (Salerno)
Sicily Sicily's Norman period lasted from until about 1200. The architecture was decorated in
gilded mosaics such as that at the cathedral at
Monreale. The Palatine Chapel in
Palermo built in 1130 is perhaps the strongest example of this. The interior of the
dome, (itself a Byzantine feature), is decorated in a
mosaic depicting Christ Pantocrator accompanied by his
angels. During Sicily's later Norman era early Gothic influences can be detected such as those in the
cathedral at Messina consecrated in 1197. However, here the high Gothic
campanile is of a later date and should not be confused with the early Gothic built during the Norman period; which featured pointed arches and windows rather than the
flying buttresses and
pinnacles later to manifest themselves in the Gothic era. • Edifices in
Palermo •
Norman palace with its
Palatine Chapel •
Zisa •
Cuba •
Castle of Maredolce •
Cathedral of Palermo •
San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi •
San Giovanni degli Eremiti •
Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio also known as
Martorana •
San Cataldo •
Church of the Holy Spirit (Sicily) also known as
Chiesa del Vespro • known as
Chiesa della Magione •
The Admiral's Bridge ("Ponte dell'Ammiraglio") •
Monreale Cathedral and
Benedictine cloister •
Cefalù Cathedral • Edifices in
Messina •
Messina Cathedral • Church of Chiesa di Santa Maria della Valle •
Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani •
Erice the Venus Castle and the main church ("Duomo dell'Assunta") •
Castelvetrano, Church of the Santissima Trinità di Delia •
Casalvecchio Siculo, Church of
Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò •
Itala, the Arabic Norman Church of Saints Peter and Paul •
Montalbano Elicona, Palatine Chapel •
Sciacca, Church of San Nicolò la Latina and Church of Santa Maria della Raccomandata •
Caltanissetta, Abbey of the Santo Spirito •
San Fratello, Shrine of the Tre Santi •
Maniace, Norman bridge and
Castle of Nelson (old Abbey of St. Mary in Maniace) •
Syracuse, Church of San Nicolò ai Cordari and Church of San Giovanni alle catacombe (St. John the Catacombs) • Nicosia (Sicily), Norman castle •
Castle of Milazzo •
San Marco d'Alunzio, Ruins of the Norman Church of St Saviour (S. Salvatore) and ruins of the Norman castle •
Adrano, Norman castle •
Aci Castello •
Motta Sant'Anastasia, Norman tower (Dongione) •
Caronia, Norman castle •
Catania Cathedral • Ponte dei Saraceni (Norman bridge),
Adrano • Ponte Calatrasi (Norman bridge),
Roccamena • Ponte di Cerami (Norman bridge),
Cerami Malta After its Norman conquest in 1091, Malta saw the construction of several Norman pieces of architecture. Many have been demolished and rebuilt over the years (especially after the
1693 Sicily earthquake which destroyed many old Norman buildings), however some fortresses and houses still exist in
Mdina and
Vittoriosa. ==Transitional style==