Osterio Magno in Cefalù
The Osterio Magno of Cefalù is one of the most important civil buildings in the city. The palace is characterized by the presence of structures that date back to different eras and testify to the succession of foreign dominances in the city.
According to tradition, the building was the first residence of King Roger II. The beginning of its construction seems to date back to the Roman era , whose influence is visible in the remains of a cistern located in a room on the ground floor. The quadrangular plan of the Tower , probably commissioned by Roger II, follows a construction style of the Norman era . The lower part of the walls, on the other hand, seems to belong to the Hellenistic era, with a great influence of Greek architecture witnessed precisely in the style of the lower part of the Tower . The upper part of the walls dates back to the Byzantine era.
The two-tone palace , one of the best known parts of the Osteria Magno, dates back to 1200. The palace owes its name to the double coloring of the facade: a decoration with alternating bands of yellow sandstone and lava foam. The windows, mullioned and three-mullioned, guarantee a great brightness to the hall.
