Beautiful mosaics, a stunning cloister, and a majestic cathedral bring pilgrims from around the world to this hillside town outside of Palermo, Italy.
Located on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily, is the town of Monreale. Found high up the side of Mount Caputo, Monreale is mostly famous for one thing, its splendid Norman cathedral.
Why put such an important cathedral here though? Well, it started way back during the times of the Arab rule in Sicily (831-1091) who used Palermo as their capitol. The bishop of Palermo was told to leave Palermo and he established his church at nearby Monreale. When the Normans conquered Palermo in 1072, the bishop returned. However, Monreale’s former status as a cathedral town probably helped King William II of Sicily decision to build another cathedral here, a very fancy one.
The Normans ended up building a palace here, as well as other other royals. Monreale was a perfect a hunting resort, close to Palermo and the sea, but far enough away to get away (some things never change). Commerce boomed with all the rich royals and their helpers in tow. A large Benedictine monastery was also constructed next to the cathedral, which brought even more wealth to the town and the surrounding region.
The Cathedral of Monreale is what brought me to Monreale, so let’s start there. King William II of Sicily (descended from the Norman conquers of Sicily, who, in turn, were descended from the Vikings) started the cathedral in 1172, probably in competition with the current Bishop of Palermo (who was building the cathedral in Palermo). Work on the church and its abbey next door (for the Benedictines) wasn’t finished until 1267, almost a hundred years later.
The Cathedral of Monreale. Most of the Norman facade still survives with the two huge towers and the stone decoration below the cross. Not sure if the marble portico is original or not. The one in Monreale is stone and was added later.
The front door is just amazing. The carved stone is original and those doors have to be very old indeed. I love the addition of the gold mosaics on the doorway. Just a small sample of what can be seen inside the church itself.
The cathedral is famous for its amazing mosaics, which were placed during the 12-13th centuries and made by Venetians and locals. The lower levels feature fine marble with bands of glass mosaic. All the walls above are covered with mosaic scenes from the Old and New Testament, even under the arches.
Just wow! Most of that gold is mosaics. No wonder Monreale is one of the top sights to see in Sicily.
Even the nave is completely covered in mosaics as well. These feature those Bible stories.
Jesus and the money changers in the Temple in Jerusalem. Amazing detail.
Even the underside of the arches is covered with images of saints in mosaics.
The back wall of the church, above that fantastic front door, is also covered with scenes. There is a lot going on here.
In the front, alongside the main altar, are two chapels. On the right is the chapel containing the tombs of William I and William II of Sicily. They were the kings of Sicily when Monreale was constructed. William I’s tomb is the big red stone one and William II is the white and gold one hiding behind his dad’s. Even mosaics here.
On the other side, this chapel takes a bit of a different tone. It has a super fancy floor and St. Peter in the apse, with a very non-Norman altar.
A door leads to another smaller chapel without mosaics! Very, very fancy though.
The cloister is another wonderful treat. Part of the Benedictine monastery, completed around 1200, it also features glass mosaics in the columns surrounding the garden. Some of the columns had this lovely decoration, as well as, carved capitals, each one unique.
View of the cloister and monastery complex from above. If you get the full complex ticket, you get some really cool views.
My kind of catwalk.
The cloister here is one of the best-preserved cloisters in all of Italy. It is so wonderful. The mosaic tiles in the columns just sparkle when the sun hits them.
Very picturesque.
The cloister connected not only the monastery buildings but also the cathedral to the monastery.
The inlaid tiles add a little pizzazz to an otherwise boring simple stone column.
Along with the tiles, the top was also carved. Each one is different. The king is carrying the whole cathedral himself in this one while a seating Virgin and Child are watching.
There was also a really cool fountain.
I didn’t get a chance to explore much more of Monreale, but here is a bit of some more of what I saw in the cathedral area.
A view of the town from the top of the cathedral.
One of the first views you see of Monreale after you get off the bus.
Looking opposite from the cathedral.
The side of the cathedral and current entrance.
A parish church.
Heading back to the cathedral.
Monreale is a fantastic excursion from the busy Palermo. I really enjoyed the cathedral, its museum, the tower climb, and especially the cloister. Everything was just wonderful.
Check out my next update where I explore the little fishing town of Cefalù!
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