The most precious elements of the Cloister are perhaps the 228 splendid columns with their capitals, all different from each other, which constitute an incredible and surprisingly well preserved iconographic set.
The subjects of the reliefs, which partly reflect the representations of the mosaics inside the cathedral and partly stand out from them, show a great variety of cultural contributions, with openings also towards the East and the canons of Byzantine art.
Among the most notable capitals there is certainly the number 8, called “capital of dedication”, which illustrates, with a wonderful relief, the offer of the cathedral to the Virgin Mary by King
Guglielmo II.
Compared to the mosaic representation of the cathedral, the scene here is much more realistic and shows in detail the side of the building visible from the Cloister. On the other sides there are allegorical figures representing faith, hope, charity and justice, which are the virtues to which every Christian must aspire and which constituted the attributes of royal power according to the Norman conception.
