Monreale Cathedral, Palermo

One of the most charming expressions of this mix of styles and cultures that is characteristic of the whole of Sicily. Building on the Duomo in Monreale, located on the top of a hill about 10 km from Palermo, began in 1174 according to the wishes of the Norman king William II who, so the story goes, had been visited in a dream by the Virgin Mary. The result of this mystic night-time vision was a majestic complex that, in addition to the cathedral, also included the abbey, the royal palace and the bishop’s palace.

As proof of the royal homage paid to the Virgin Mary, the “Capitello della Donazione” in the cloisters was created: a sculpture that depicts William II offering the Church to the Holy Virgin.

The amazing, harmonious mix of architectural styles, Byzantine, Arabic and Romanesque, that are combined in the Monreale Cathedral is one of the greatest works from the Sicilian Middle Ages.

The interior is dazzling: wherever you look, golden, sparkling mosaics spread out beyond your view, covering the entire central nave, for a total of 6000 square meters. These works of art, that are the work of famous Byzantine and Venetian mosaic artists, tell the stories of the Old and New Testaments through wonderful images. Not to be missed:

• The square cloisters surrounded by multi-colored columns, the only part that is still intact of the old convent that enchanted the French writer Guy de Maupassant.
• The readings by pictures (unless you know Greek and Latin) of the Old and New Testaments, splendidly depicted in the mosaics in the central vave.