MONREALE CATHEDRAL, Interior Chapel Of The Holy Crucifix

The incredible Chapel of the Holy Crucifix, built in 1686 on the orders of the powerful Spanish archbishop Giovanni Roano as his place of burial, is one of the finest masterpieces of Sicilian Baroque. This extraordinary work, begun by the Capuchin friar Giovanni da Monreale, was completed by the great Sicilian architect Angelo Italia.

The whole chapel is spectacular, starting from the exquisitely decorated portal topped with the dedication of the archbishop: Al suo amore crocifisso (To his crucified love). Once you enter the chapel, you’ll be awestruck by the elaborate beauty of the decoration. The centerpiece of the chapel is the fifteenth-century Statue of Christ, placed within an elegant composition of colored marble representing the Tree of Jesse, the legendary family tree of Jesus, on the left of which you can see the statue of the archbishop kneeling in prayer.

Even the colors have symbolic value: red, the color of human passions and the blood of Christ, prevails within the chapel, enhanced by the magnificent columns, while the dominant shade in the tabernacle is lapis lazuli blue, the color of the sky and divine revelation....