Review tour of Palermo and Monreale.
Monreale is a suburb of Palermo, a pretty little town where the Norman King William II ordered the erection of a grandiose Cathedral. Which was built here between 1174 and 1176: 106 metres long and 40 metres wide.
The town is set on a low mountain. In the distant past it was an Arab village, later, from the 11th century, a Norman settlement. It was from this time onwards that Montreal began to grow in importance and fame: the Norman kings preferred to rest in this town after their feats of arms. And one day, when William II was resting during another well-deserved rest (and it was in 1172), he had a dream: Madonna appeared to him and told him to spend the spoils of war taken by his father, to spend them on a good cause, to build a temple in her honour. And, as usual, pointed out the place where the temple should be built. Being a devout and pious man, William II did not put the matter in a long box and in 15 years in the place indicated by the Madonna already stood the Cathedral of the city of Montreal, and next to it was built a palace for the archbishop. In addition, William was eager to surpass the cathedrals that his grandfather and father had built in Cefalù and Palermo. Arab architects were invited, and as a result the cathedral combined elements of Moorish architecture with features typical of Christian northern European buildings. And since it was in the XII century that Italian artists reached unprecedented heights in icon painting, the cathedral received an amazingly beautiful interior painting. The image of Christ the Almighty dominates over all the frescoes.
The cathedral is the only attraction in the town. Its facade is adorned with bronze doors depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament. Usually open only on major holidays, on ordinary days the cathedral is accessed through a side door.
The cathedral is huge and is considered one of the world’s largest collections of mosaics. Adjoining the cathedral is the courtyard of the Benedictine monastery, which also has distinctly Moorish features. The arches bounding the courtyard are supported by ornate columns, one of which depicts William II offering the cathedral to the Madonna. Since 1995, the cathedral has been protected by UNESCO as a unique historical and architectural monument. In the right wing of the cathedral there are the remains of the Benedictine monastery of the XII century. The monastery courtyard of Chiostro, a 47×47 metre square of 4 walls made up of columns connected by arches in the spirit of the Arabian courtyards surrounding the inner garden, has been beautifully preserved to this day. It is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
There are several places in the city that offer a panorama of nearby Palermo, a sight as impressive as it is pleasant. And from the city’s garden you can admire panoramas of the island of Sicily. But the city’s history is not as serene as it may seem at first glance. Its streets have seen bloody battles between rebellious Sicilians and the French, who then (in 1282) owned the island.
