Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The finely carved capitals depict a mix of religious and secular images, all detailed on a
free handout available at the ticket desk - among the most interesting are the depictions of
acrobats, a pair of crocodiles and Noah's Ark.
MUSEUM
Museo Mandralisca
( 0921 42 15 47;
www.museomandralisca.it
; Via Mandralisca 13; adult/child under 6yr/child 6-10yr/child 11-15yr
€5/free/1/3; 9am-7pm)
This small, privately owned museum showcases a collection amassed
by parliamentarian, archaeologist and natural-history buff, Baron Mandralisca (1809-64).
The rather faded displays of Greek ceramics and Arab pottery are of marginal interest
compared to Antonello da Messina's splendid
Ritratto di un uomo ignoto
(Portrait of an
Unknown Man; 1465), considered one of the most distinctive portraits of the Italian
Renaissance.
Acquired by the Baron after he discovered it being used as a makeshift cupboard door
in Lipari, da Messina's painting depicts a man with an enigmatic smirk, almost as captiv-
ating and thought provoking as the Mona Lisa's - albeit without the attendant hype.
Spiaggia di Cefalù
Cefalù's crescent-shaped beach is one of the most popular along the whole coast. In sum-
mer it is packed, so be sure to arrive early to get a good spot. Though some sections re-
quire a ticket, the area closest to the old town is public and you can hire a beach umbrella
and deck chair for approximately €15 per day.
BEACH
HISTORIC SITE
Lavatoio
(Via Vittorio Emanuele)
Descend the curving stone steps to this picturesque cluster of
16th-century wash basins, built over a spring that was well known in antiquity.
Eating
Despite being packed with restaurants, Cefalù is one of the only major towns on the island
to be totally ignored by both the
Gambero Rosso
and
Osteria D'Italia
(Slow Food Move-
ment) restaurant guides - a damning but deserved indictment. If all you're after is a pass-
