honorable mention
Julia Messerschmidt germanyPhoto © Julia Messerschmidt
title
Palimpsest
The beauty of the Cathedral dominates due to its charming Baroque facade and its structure which treasure one of the most important and famous Doric monument in all Sicily: the Temple of Athena. The Greek Temple was built in 480 b.C. by the tyrant Gelone according to the victory against Cartago in the battle of Himera. All columns and some parts of the interior chamber are still visible. The Byzantines in the 6th century converted the temple into a church: included the exterior colonnade in the outer walls of the church and opened eight arches on each side to create a new building.
In the 7th century the bishop Zosimo was stunned by the gorgeous Cathedral, so decided to move the cathedral’s seat to the Duomo, saving it from destruction.
During the 9th century under Arabs domination the Cathedral was used as a Mosque, even though in the 12th century with the Normans it went back to be a church. In Norman times was built a new facade and were raised the walls of the nave to open up windows.
A earthquake in 1693 destroyed the Norman facade and the bell tower, never rebuilt. But it was an opportunity to reconstruct in the 18th century the new expressive Baroque facade.
This example should stand as a role model regarding the contemporary architectural discourse about the importance and beauty of historical preservation.
The Photograph was taken with an analog Nikon FM2 from the 1980s in summer 2019.
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entry description
Duomo Santa Maria delle Colonne - Templo di Athena: 240 B.C. Architecture meets breathtaking BaroqueThe beauty of the Cathedral dominates due to its charming Baroque facade and its structure which treasure one of the most important and famous Doric monument in all Sicily: the Temple of Athena. The Greek Temple was built in 480 b.C. by the tyrant Gelone according to the victory against Cartago in the battle of Himera. All columns and some parts of the interior chamber are still visible. The Byzantines in the 6th century converted the temple into a church: included the exterior colonnade in the outer walls of the church and opened eight arches on each side to create a new building.
In the 7th century the bishop Zosimo was stunned by the gorgeous Cathedral, so decided to move the cathedral’s seat to the Duomo, saving it from destruction.
During the 9th century under Arabs domination the Cathedral was used as a Mosque, even though in the 12th century with the Normans it went back to be a church. In Norman times was built a new facade and were raised the walls of the nave to open up windows.
A earthquake in 1693 destroyed the Norman facade and the bell tower, never rebuilt. But it was an opportunity to reconstruct in the 18th century the new expressive Baroque facade.
This example should stand as a role model regarding the contemporary architectural discourse about the importance and beauty of historical preservation.
The Photograph was taken with an analog Nikon FM2 from the 1980s in summer 2019.
back to gallery