Norman Cloister in Lipari
The Norman Cloister of Lipari is part of the complex of the Benedictine Monastery of Lipari, the first to be built in Sicily.
It was built around 1131 at the behest of Duke Ruggero D ' Altavilla Il. The monastery and its cloister were built according to the Cluniac Benedictine models by the abbot Ambrose: the church was in the foreground facing north followed by the cloister to the south where the monks spent most of their day and then continued with the monastery. In 1544 the complex was severely damaged during the Turkish invasion. With Charles V, an impressive reconstruction work began, during which the fortification of the castle and the reconstruction of the cathedral took place. The cloister had now lost its role and was first used as a cemetery and then, following an earthquake, was covered by a wall. It was brought to light by chance, in 1978: Luigi Pastore, browsing the adjacent rooms, noticed some capitals and immediately notified the competent authorities of the Superintendencies for architectural heritage. It was therefore subject to various restoration works and today it is possible to admire it in all its beauty.
The cloister has a quadrangular shape, even if the north side is shorter. The north side was destroyed and merged with the church after a restoration, and now it forms the right aisle. The existing columns are of considerable value because they come from Roman houses prior to the time of construction of the cloister and have the typical grooves. Similar artifacts have now been found in the submerged Roman port. Of particular interest are some capitals depicting monstrous animals or doves pecking dates.
The Aeolian Regional Archaeological Museum houses some fragments of floors very fragile antique items found in the cloister.
