About Cefalù - History

The current city of Cefalù has a rich past. Its old name was "Kephaloidion" a greek word wich means "head", due to the shape of the big rock wich towers Cefalù.

The origins of the town aren't still completely known but probabily Cefalù was founded in the V century B.C., when it was a small village wich began to grow up as a consequence of the contacts with the populations wich dominated and administrated the zone. According to the historian Diodorus Siculus, Cefalù was initially bound to Carthage but in 307 B.C. the town was conquered by the city of Syracuse and later by Rome.

Thanks to Cicero we know that under the Roman Empire Cefalù had a great development and a modest importance. After the decline of the West Roman Empire, the centre of the town was moved on the top of the Rock in order to protect the city from the external invasions, wich began to prosperate in that period.

In the Early Middle Ages the city was conquered by the Arabs. In 1131 the centre of the town was moved back on the sea due to the Norman king Roger II, who gave impulse to the town and built the S.Giorgio Church and the famous Cathedral.

In the Modern Times Cefalù shared its history with the rest of Italy and in 1861 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.