Before we started this trip, we compiled a long Google document that included the itinerary for the food and wine tour and other notes we found as we researched the places we would be visiting. One of the most intriguing comments came from The Lonely Planet:
According to an old Sicilian proverb, whoever visits Palermo without visiting Monreale arrives a donkey and leaves an ass.
Monreale is a small town in northwest Sicily, just west of Palermo. The main attraction in Monreale is the Cathedral, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes cathedrals in Palermo and Cefalu. The Monreale Cathedral is considered one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture in Europe. The church also reflects the influence and coexistence of the various cultures who inhabited Sicily in the middle ages.
A different kind of cathedral
We visited the Monreale Cathedral on our first full day in Sicily. At first glance, it does not fit a stereotypical American view of what a cathedral should look like. Most people, us included, are familiar with Notre Dame in Paris. Notre Dame is a great example of French Gothic architecture with soaring ceilings, the flying buttresses and large stained glass windows.
The Cathedral at Monreale has a very different exterior look that reflects Norman or Romanesque architecture. It looks like it was built in the middle ages – blocky, square, with small windows and massive columns and towers to support the roof and domes. I can imagine people huddling in dim light inside a building like this, shivering from the cold, hoping for divine inspiration…or intervention.
But looking at this building, it’s clear that there were multiple cultural influences. There are the two towers at the corners – clearly Norman. Standard twelfth Century architecture. But the arches in the middle reflect the influence of Arab and Byzantine cultures.
An amazing interior
Even with the decorative arches, the exterior of the cathedral is rather plain. But inside is a different story. The interior of the cathedral is decorated with over 6,000 square meters of gleaming gold mozaics.
We had read about the mozaics before the trip, but still had a common reaction as we walked inside – “WOW!” We joined a crowd of tourists just inside the door – stopping and staring at the interior for several minutes. The gold murals are jaw-dropping.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the main apse, the front of the sanctuary, that is dominated by a large mozaic depicting Christ Pantocrator (commonly translated as “Almighty”). Below that is a mozaic of the Madonna and Child, flanked by angels and archangels. Other mozaics show the life of Christ and illustrate other stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
The mosaics were done in a Byzantine style, and were made by craftsmen from the local area along with others from Venice and Constantinople. It’s estimated that 2,200 kg of pure gold were used to make the mosaics.
Imagine what it must have been like while the murals were being made – dozens of people working on various parts, speaking different languages, but working toward a common vision.
More than just gold
Other parts of the interior of the church are decorated with inlaid stone, in intricate patterns that reflect an Islamic or Arabic influence. They reminded us of the Taj Mahal.
Mary noticed that some of the tile in the floor had a three-dimensional feel. She was wearing thin-soled shoes, and could feel the different tile thicknesses.
There was a lot more to see in the cathedral than I’ve been able to show here. And now, having done more research into its history and cultural background, I’m looking forward to a return trip.
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We laugh sometimes and say that every historical site tour ends with an exit through the gift shop. There was, thankfully, no gift shop in the Monreale Cathedral, though there were a dozen vendors with stalls set up in the piazza outside. Across the way we found a small shop selling ceramics. They were higher quality than any we’d seen so far, and we bought a small piece to bring home as a reminder of a lovely day in Sicily.
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