Monreale is 8 kms southwest of Palermo. We went there to see the Duomo, the cathedral.
Willem II, King of Sicily founded a Benedictine monastery and a Royal Palace on Mons Regalis, the King’s Mount, hence Monreale. It is the highest spot near Palermo, 300 metres above sea level.
In 1172 the construction of the Duomo began. William decreed that members of the Royal family were to be buried here. You can see their tombs inside, in the isles.
Before we went inside we had a good look at the exterior. We especially liked the portico flanked by two bell towers. The left one was never finished and the right one was struck by lightening in the 16th century. Its copula was never restored. We also admired the bronze door on the portal. It is divided into squares which show biblical scenes, but there are also Norman symbols, such as the lion and the griffon. This is a winged monster with an eagle-like head and the body of a lion.
Walk along the side of the cathedral on the left and you will get to the outside of the apse. This is the domed recess at the altar end of the cathedral. I have seen numerous pictures of it, but the real thing is even more beautiful than I had expected. The exterior of the apse is interlaced marble and tufa arches, interspersed by multicoloured motifs.
Once inside my eyes were drawn to the beautiful wooden sculptured ceiling and right in front above the altar a mosaic of Christ Pancreator flanked by angels and saints. When I was used to the semi-darkness I saw a galaxy of colourful mosaics against a golden background. They were made by Greek and Byzantine craftsmen and occupy the entire nave, aisles, choir. It is just everywhere. I read that it took craftsmen ten years to complete it, but I could not find anywhere how many craftsmen were working on it.
The mosaics illustrate scenes from the Old and New Testaments. They are like comic strips. I especially liked the Noah’s Ark scenes: the building of the ark, shoving in the animals, Noah peeping through the hatches. The more I looked, the more details I saw.
Entrance is free but if you want to see the mosaics illuminated you can switch on the lights by inserting €1 into the many slot machines. But because the cathedral is a recognised coach stop many people will do it for you.
There is a €3 entrance fee to the cloisters. They are part of the Benedictine monastery. The cloisters surround a garden. The cloister’s roof is supported by twin columns with carved capitals, all of different designs.
The town of Monreale is a pleasant place to walk about. There are several baroque churches, but they are closed in the afternoon.
We went by bus from Palermo. From Piazza dell’Indipendenza. We took #389, whch dropped us right in front of the cathedral. They journey took twenty minutes. We bought our bus tickets from a < i>tabacchi in Corso Amadeo. And don’t forget to validate your ticket in the machine when you board the bus.