It is located on the northern Sicilian coast, at the foot of a rocky promontory. In the 4th century BC, the ancient Greeks founded the Kephaloidion polis in the place where the current historic center stands. In 254 BC the city was conquered by the Romans who called it Cephaloedium. Under the Byzantine rule, the town moved from the plain to the fortress.

The old town was not completely abandoned, as evidenced by the discovery of a building of Christian worship, with a floor in polychrome mosaic from the 4th century. In 858 the city was conquered by the Arabs. In 1063 it was conquered by the Normans. In 1131 Ruggero built a cathedral as a fortress.

There the mosaics in the apse were soon made by Byzantine masters. The dominant figure is the beautiful image of Christ Pantocrator. On the death of Federico II the political situation of the city became very confused. Only in 1742 the Consulates of Commerce were born.

Those of France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands that will remain active until the end of the nineteenth century. The city opens up to Europe and begins to be a destination for travelers on the Grand Tour. Cefalù is a seaside resort, a destination for tourists for its splendid beaches and precious monuments.