The Travel Pages visits Monreale Cathedral to see the stunning mosaics in this UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s a 30-minute bus ride from Palermo in Sicily.

‘If there’s one thing you must do while you’re in Palermo,’ a friend who had recently been there told us, ‘it’s to visit Monreale. It’s unique’.

So we made our way one morning to the Piazza Independenza, behind the Norman Palace and a 10-minute walk from Palermo’s own magnificent cathedral.  We found the shop where they sold bus tickets, which our host at our apartment had told us about, and bought two returns to Monreale for a few euros each. The shopkeeper told us where the stop for the Number 389 bus to Monreale was. So far so good.

Unfortunately a lot of other people had the same idea, and as Italians don’t believe in queuing we joined the herd and waited for the bus, which leaves about once an hour. When it came it was already almost full, with standing room only. We were the last two people to squeeze on board, and my backpack just made it inside the closing doors.

I’d looked forward to sitting down and watching the scenery go by, but instead we stood like the proverbial sardines in a can as the bus slowly made its way through the packed Palermo traffic. I got the occasional glimpse of garbage cans and frustrated passengers unable to board the bus despite valiant pushing and shoving.

Monreale is a small town of about 40,000 people that drapes itself down the slopes of Monte Caputo, and which owes its existence purely to the spectacular cathedral that was built here in the 12th century. The bus drops you at a small roundabout at the foot of the town, from where it’s a gentle uphill walk of about ten minutes to the square on which the cathedral stands.

We sat by a fountain and cooled off for a few minutes, while we planned our visit to the cathedral, which dominates the square like a vast Norman Fortress. It’s worth knowing that the cathedral closes from 12.45-2pm, though the cloisters remain open. There are plenty of shops around where you can buy snacks and enjoy the peace of the cloisters for an hour or so, or you can use the time to have something to eat in one of Monreale’s many cafés and restaurants.

Visiting Monreale’s History

It was King William II of Sicily who initiated the building of the cathedral, which began in 1174. The story goes that while he was out hunting and took a siesta under a tree, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary, who instructed him to build a church on this spot. In keeping with the melting pot that is Sicily, it stands now as a blend of Norman, Byzantine and Islamic architecture.

The church was completed and dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in 1182, and later that year Pope Lucius III elevated it to the status of a cathedral. The story of the vision sounds good, but the reality is that William built the cathedral because of his rivalry with Walter Ophami, the Bishop of Palermo, who was also planning a monumental church at around the same time. Palermo Cathedral was built in 1185 and dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Visiting Monreale

Stepping inside Monreale takes your breath away. It’s huge and every available surface is covered in golden mosaics. An enormous mosaic of Christ Pantocrator looks out over everyone. The mosaics around the walls tell the story of the Bible, and of Jesus Christ, including healing the sick, the loaves and the fishes, and Mary Magdalene washing his feet. In all there’s around 68,000 square feet (over 6,300 square meters) of golden mosaics, one-third more than there are in the renowned St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

All you can really do is wander slowly around and look in wonder at the countless beauties. Our one complaint is that the seating in the cathedral is roped off, leaving nowhere for you to sit quietly and contemplate. You’re obviously there to look at the cathedral and not to pray!

There are several ornate side chapels, some of which have side chapels of their own. You should also not miss the chance to go up onto the roof, with its views over the cloisters and down the valley of La Conca d’oro (the Golden Shell) to Palermo in the distance.

Visiting Monreale’s Cloisters

Another ‘must see’ in Montreale is the cathedral’s cloisters, and a good time to do it is at lunchtime when the main cathedral is closed. A side door on the western side of the cathedral allows access to the cloisters.

The cloister was completed in 1200 and is said to be one of the finest cloisters in the whole of Europe. The central garden is divided into four, with each quarter having one of the trees mentioned both in the Bible and the Koran: palm, fig, pomegranate, and olive. Around the side are 228 twin columns made of Carrera marble, brought all the way to Monreale from Tuescany, and each column is decorated differently.

In all it would take several pages, or even a book, to tell the full story of Monreale Cathedral, but our friend was right. It’s unique, and one of the most remarkable buildings in Italy, if not the whole of Europe.

Visiting Monreale

For full information on opening hours and ticket prices visit the multi-lingual website.

All photos (c) Mike Gerrard