A Day Trip From Palermo to Visit Monreale - July 25, 2018

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As mentioned in the previous blog entry we took a day trip from Palermo up to the hilltop village of Monreale as everyone had told us we “had” to see the Cathedral there. We were very glad we took their advice. It was a quick 40 minute bus trip up from Palermo to Monreale where the main attraction is the Cathedral.



If you remember when we were in Cefalu there was a Cathedral there that was pretty impressive. It was built on the orders of Roger II who also had the Palatine Cathedral in Palermo built. Roger’s grandson, William II decided he wanted to outshine his grandfather and in order to do this he would build a Cathedral in Monreale. Roger II wanted to incorporate the workmanship of the Norman, Arab, Byzantine and Christian styles in order to show the ability to meld all four into one magnificent structure.



It was hard to fathom how the mosaics that cover every inch of this Cathedral could be completed in a 10 year period but it was done between 1174 and 1184. The mosaics depict numerous biblical tales in 42 different stories.



We have been to numerous Cathedrals in our travels, but this one in Monreale is one that is definitely breathtaking. Next to the Cathedral there is a cloister which we fortunately visited before going to the Cathedral. It was excellent to be able to walk through this peaceful area before many of the other tourists entered. We luckily caught the 8:30AM bus up from Palermo and with a 9:00 opening time it worked out in our favor.



We learned that Roger II had a love for Arabic artistry as well as that of the Orient. The Romanesque arches are supported by unique columns. Some columns are decorated by mosaics that are inlayed into the column while others were intricately carved. The capitals of each pair of columns also were carved, each telling a story. This is the first cloister we have visited that had a functioning fountain. It is common for a cloister to have one, but this is the best preserved cloister we have visited and the care that is taken of it is obvious.



We then went to see the inside of the Cathedral which is completely covered with mosaics done by artisans from Sicily and Venice. You have to take your time to be able to absorb the beauty of the work which tells the numerous biblical stories. Again, with the mosaics on the walls where no one would walk, gold leaf could be incorporated. Marble on the floors were also laid with a mosaic design many times using geometric patterns as the guide.



There was a chapel that upon entering you were overwhelmed by the intricate stone carvings in the sculptures within. One of the more famous one was being renovated and was not available for viewing, but even with that the other sculptures were more than impressive to view.



There is an option to take a walk on the rooftop which we decided to do. The stairway up in the beginning was quite easy and wide, but it continued to narrow down with even a sign to warn about headroom. While climbing up we were mentioning that we hoped there was another staircase down as it seemed too narrow to have two way traffic. We later found out we were wrong – two way travel was the rule so in places you had to wait for others to come up. It was a beautiful clear day so we were treated to not only beautiful views looking out over the cloister but on the other side we could see the city of Palermo, the bay of Palermo and the surrounding mountains.



What a wonderful day outing from Palermo and one we would suggest to anyone that comes to this area of Sicily. Roger II wanted to out shine his grandfather and from what we can see, he accomplished his goal.

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Photos

The Monreale Cathedral Ordered Built by William II
to outdo his grandfather Roger II's in Cefalu & Palermo

The Story of Noah in Mosaic
only one of 42 bible stories told

The Details in the Ceiling Show Nothing Spared
in William II desire to make this the best Cathedral

As You Enter the Cloister The Variety of Columns
in obvious and impressive

A Working Fountain at the Cloister
this was interesting with the water from the top

Notice the Indents in the Columns Are Made
in order to fill them in with the mosaic tiles

Some Columns Are Carved with Intricate Designs
the one on the right is of grape harvesting

We Climbed Up to The Top of the Cathedral
for magnificent views

Here We Are At the Top
with Palermo in the background

When You Go Up, You Must Also Come Down
here it was the same passage for both directions!