the cathedral was built in an area, where peopke had lived for a long time. today, a roman road and aearly christian mosaic show this. construction began in 1131, the apse mosaics were begun in 1145, and the sarcophagi that roger ii provided for his tomb and that of his wife were put in place the same year. after 1172 the church suffered a period of decline. in 1215 frederick ii of hohenstaufen moved the two sarcophagi to the cathedral of palermo. construction of the cathedral was resumed soon after, the façade ws completed in 1240. the cathedral was consecrated in 1267 by rodolphe de chevriêres, bishop of albano.