The tree of life in the southern porch of the cathedral of Palermo: survey and geometric analysis

Abstract

This study focuses one of the most puzzling works of art made in Palermo at the end of the medieval age: the tree of life, a rich geometrical decoration with animal and human figures in the southern porch of the Cathedral of Palermo. Topographic and SfM photogrammetric methods produced a detailed orthophoto of the porch. Images collected during restoration have been rectified and superimposed to the orthophoto. The geometrical analysis of the decorative patterns reveals a complex design and meaningful links between the decoration and the general architectural layout of the porch.