Duomo di Monreale

The Duomo di Monreale, on Piazza del Duomo in the hill town of Monreale about 8 kilometres from Palermo, Sicily, Italy, is among the greatest monuments of Norman art in Europe. It was founded by King William II in 1174 and consecrated in 1182, as a royal abbey church and a cathedral, and was intended to rival the church-building of Palermo and assert royal power. The exterior is relatively plain, with interlaced arches and bronze doors by Bonanno Pisano, but the interior is covered with about 6,500 square metres of gold-ground mosaics, the largest Byzantine-style mosaic cycle in Italy. The mosaics were made by Byzantine and local craftsmen and illustrate scenes from the Old and New Testaments. A huge figure of Christ Pantocrator fills the apse, and the nave carries scenes from Genesis including the Creation, Adam and Eve and Noah's ark. The mosaics also include a depiction of William II offering the cathedral to the Virgin. The interior combines a basilica plan with Arab-influenced timber ceilings and inlaid marble floors. Next to the cathedral lies the Benedictine cloister, built in the 12th century, a square courtyard surrounded by 228 paired columns with carved capitals and mosaic inlay, one of the finest cloisters in the Mediterranean. The cathedral contains the tombs of William I and William II, and a chapel of the Crucifix added in the 17th century. The building has been restored several times, including after a fire in 1811 that damaged the roof and parts of the interior. The mosaics are generally in a good condition. Monreale cathedral is one of the nine components of the UNESCO World Heritage site Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale, inscribed in 2015. The cathedral is an active place of worship, and visitors are required to dress modestly. Visits to the terrace and roof are available at separate hours and prices.