Monreale is a hill town situated on the south-west slope of Mount Caputo in west side of Sicily, a short distance of Palermo. Most visitors prefer lodging in Palermo, a lively and vibrant city, and visit Monreale using private day tours as well as Shuttle Bus at reasonable rates.
The Cathedral in Monreale is best known for its very impressive 6.340 square meters Byzantine gold mosaics, dating from the 8th century, although the cathedral has seveal other interesting characteristics as well as a beautiful cloister.
Now listed as a UNESCO heritage site
William the Good, King of Sicily, had the Cathedral built in a short time between 1174 and 1176. It is said that he had dreamed of Our Lady, who revealed the place where great treasure was buried to him, which he was supposed to use for a pious purpose. Much more likely, William was driven by the desire to live up to the achievements of his grandfather Roger, founder of the Cathedral of Cefalù, S. Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Cappella Palatina in Palermo. The great church would thus serve to perpetuate his name over the centuries.
Walls are almost entirely covered with a golden mosaic measuring a total of 6340 square metres. The general level of these decorations, both in terms of design and execution, is surprisingly high.
The execution of the mosaics was entrusted to Byzantine workers and the iconography is actually Greek. However, the relaxed attitudes of the characters, their softly draped robes and the rhythm of their movements reveal a clear evolution of the style compared to that of the Cappella Palatina and the Martorana, one which is typically Italian.
In fact, at the end of the twelfth century, Italian artists were considered the best at iconographic art. The mosaic cycle develops the concept of the triumph of Christianity in three different moments, depicting: events prior to the Incarnation (Old Testament); episodes from the life of Jesus (Gospel); events subsequent to the death of Christ and the life of the Apostles (Gospel and Acts of the Apostles).
The Benedictine Cloister, which also dates back to the time of William II, was part of a Benedictine abbey adjacent to the cathedral. It is a square measuring 47 x 47 m, the layout style of which undoubtedly belongs to the Christian area, and whose general tone refers to the spirit and atmosphere of the Muslim arcaded courtyards. The arches that delimit the lush garden are supported by 228 paired columns, all lavishly decorated and with capitals inlaid with plant, animal and fantastical motifs.
