Palermo (Sicily) Cover of the evangelistary of Alfan of Capua 1176-1182

    Gold cover, cloisonné enamel and gems of the evangelistary, a gift from William II to the archbishop of Capua, Alfan de Camerota (c. 1158-1180). The binding is made up of two different boards. The first is edged with a succession of medallions inside which there appear now pictures of saints, now an archangel, and in the centre representations of the Crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, St John the Baptist and two angels. The opposite board is decorated with the central figure of a benedictory Christ surrounded by four angels bordered by medallions representing the four Evangelists, an archangel and other saints, including Thomas Becket.

Dimensions of the object
34 x 24 cm

Bibliography
- I Normanni, popolo d'Europa, Roma, Venezia, 1994, a cura di Mario d'Onofio, n° 333.
- Italie des Normands, Normandie des Plantagenêts, Musée de Normandie, Caen, 1995, n° 12.

Location
Capua, Tesoro della Cattedrale

Photography : DR