Cefalù is a coastal city in northern Sicily, Italy. It’s known for its Norman cathedral, a 12th-century fortress-like structure with elaborate Byzantine mosaics and soaring twin towers. Nearby, the Mandralisca Museum is home to archaeological exhibits and a picture gallery with a portrait by Antonello da Messina. The beaches of Mazzaforno and Settefrati lie to the west.
Rocca of Cefalù is a rocky outcrop overlooking the city, featuring defensive walls and the ruins of a medieval castle. Also here are the remains of the ancient Tempio di Diana. South of the city, high on a wooded hill, the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna encompasses an art museum and a library with rare books and first editions from as far back as the 1500s. Farther south is the Madonie Regional Natural Park, a protected area with centuries-old olive groves, churches and the Piano Battaglia ski resort. The park is home to hares, hedgehogs and fallow deer.
Cefalù (Italian pronunciation: [tʃefaˈlu]; Sicilian: Cifalù; Greek: Κεφαλοίδιον Kephaloídion, Diod., Strabo, or Κεφαλοιδίς Kephaloidís, Ptol.; Latin: Cephaloedium, or Cephaloedis, Pliny) is a city and comune in the Province of Palermo, located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the provincial capital and 185 kilometres (115 mi) west of Messina. The town, with its population of just under 14,000, is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, every year it attracts millions of tourists from all parts of Sicily and also, from all over Italy and Europe.
