{"id":67703,"date":"2015-09-29T14:20:40","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T13:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/?p=67703"},"modified":"2026-10-12T21:47:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T20:47:08","slug":"monreale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/en\/monreale","title":{"rendered":"Monreale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The town of Monreale<\/strong>, a few kilometres south-west of Palermo, is situated on the slope of Mount Caputo. From its position, at nearly 310 metres above sea level, it overlooks the fertile plain “Conca d’oro” (the Golden Shell in English), where orange, olive and almond trees grew for centuries.<\/p>\n

Seat of an archdiocese, it is known above all for its exceptional Arab-Norman cathedral, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (along with nine other sites from that period located in Palermo and Cefal\u00f9).
It is one of the finest examples of this architecture, blending Norman, Arab and Byzantine influences. Its interior is striking with its 42 large mosaics covering nearly 6,400 m\u00b2.
Byzantine-inspired, they depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Its splendid cloister is also typical of Arab-Norman and Byzantine art with its colonnades and arcades, considered one of the major masterpieces of Mediterranean Romanesque sculpture of the late 12th century.<\/p>\n

Historical elements of Monreale<\/h2>\n

The Monte Reale<\/strong> (Royal Mount in English) was under the Normans a royal hunting reserve, where a pavilion that stood on the site of the current town hall welcomed the lords. From 1174, the Norman king William II<\/strong>, grandson of the great Roger II, undertook there the construction of a monastery entrusted to the Benedictines of Cava de’ Tirreni, with the building of the cathedral. This ecclesiastical seat, linked to royal power, also aimed to limit the influence of the archbishop of Palermo.
It was around it that the town developed, Monreale quickly receiving fiscal and administrative privileges, favouring its urban development in the 12th century.<\/p>\n

This place already had a religious history, because during the occupation of Palermo by the Arabs until 1072, the bishop of Palermo had moved to a small church of Aghia Kiriaki, the name of the village that would later be called Monreale.
The works of the cathedral were completed in 1182, the official consecration took place in 1183, in the presence of the king.<\/p>\n

Cathedral and monastery of Monreale (overview)<\/h2>\n
\"Facade<\/a>

Fa\u00e7ade of the cathedral<\/p><\/div>\n

This Arab-Norman jewel displays a massive exterior, a typical example of Norman constructions, 102 metres long, with two great towers, one of which was partially destroyed, a Romanesque portal with bronze doors, an interior divided by pointed arcades, and large cycles of frescoes made under William II and Tancred of Sicily.
The cloister stands out with its 228 small columns, each bearing its own decoration, blending Proven\u00e7al, Burgundian, Arab art and the Salerno style. The historiated capitals present a complex iconographic programme, alternating plant motifs, biblical scenes and symbolic figures.<\/p>\n

\u2192 Read the article on Monreale Cathedral<\/a>, the complete visit of the building and the cloister<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Powered by GetYourGuide<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

Other buildings in Monreale and surroundings<\/h2>\n\n

Fountains of Monreale<\/h3>\n
\"Dragon<\/a>

Fountain of the Dragon<\/p><\/div>\n

The fountains constitute a major urban element of Monreale, testifying to hydraulic mastery and civic decoration between the 17th and 19th centuries.
They are found along the panoramic Rocca-Monreale road built in the 18th century. The majority of these fountains is attributed to Ignazio Marabitti, a Palermo sculptor active in the second half of the 18th century.<\/p>\n