Kloostergang in de kathedraal van Monreale, Italië 1856 - 1914

Giuseppe Incorpora made this photograph of the cloister in Monreale Cathedral, Italy, sometime between 1860 and 1914. The image captures the cathedral’s courtyard with its delicate interlacing of columns and arches, typical of the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style that flourished in Sicily. This image offers insights into the social and cultural dynamics of 19th-century Europe. At this time, photography served not only as a means of documentation but also as a tool for constructing historical narratives and collective memory. Incorpora's choice to photograph the Monreale Cathedral, a site of historical and religious significance, reflects a broader European fascination with the past. It speaks to the rise of heritage tourism and the institutionalization of art history as an academic discipline. To truly understand this photograph, we might research the economic conditions in Sicily during Incorpora’s lifetime. We might also consider the ways in which the cathedral itself has been represented in guidebooks and scholarly publications.