The Cathedral of Monreale: A Jewel of the Normal Empire

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Rising above the heart of the main nave of the Cathedral of Monreale, two magnificent mosaics display the last Norman king of Sicily. In one mosaic, William II, who ruled from 1166 to 1189, is crowned by Christ; in the other he offers a miniature of the Church to the Virgin Mary. His prominence in this cathedral is not surprising, considering that the construction of this monumental church was actually meant to show off his wealth and magnificence!

When William I, known as “The Bad,” died in 1166, his son William II, later known as “The Good,” was just 13 years old. His mother, Margaret of Navarre, served as regent until he reached his majority in 1171, but the kingdom was actually controlled by the bishop of Palermo and the royal vicechancellor. When the young king took the throne, he wished to demonstrate his independence and his power through the construction of a grand cathedral. Thus, three years after his coronation, construction began. According to some historians, the church of Santa Maria la Nuova, (the official name of the Monreale cathedral) was originally a tiny Saracen hamlet named “Ba’lat” where local farmers used to gather to cart their produce to the Palermo market. Nowadays, this outdoormarket still exists and is known as “Ballarò.”

The cathedral is an amazing mixture of Arab, Byzantine, and Norman architectural styles. Two massive square bell towers flank the main church entrance. The front of the façade is decorated with interlaced arabesques made of lava and limestone inlays. The amazing doors made of bronze display 42 bas reliefs describing various scenes from the Old and New Testaments created by Bonanno Pisano in 1186.

Inside, the cathedral is divided into three naves. The floor of the church, which dates back to 1569, is composed of white Taormina marble with multi-colored granite and porphyry patterns and borders. The current ceiling is a restored reproduction dating from 1811, when the original roof was severely damaged in a fire.

The high altar is covered with worked sheets of silver. The apse and the lateral walls of the interiors of the church are decorated with group of 130 mosaics that covers a surface of 6,340 square meters. Created by Greek and Byzantine craftsmen in less than 10 years, these are the most complete series of mosaic belonging to the Byzantine tradition today.

The Old Testament is portrayed upon the walls of the central nave, starting from the Creation and ending with Jacob’s Fight with the Angel. The mosaics on the side aisles represent the major events of the life of Jesus, from His birth to the Crucifixion, along with the miracles worked by Christ. Elegant Latin and Greek inscriptions further embellish the mosaics.

Typical of Byzantine churches, the focal point of the mosaic cycle is the magnificent representation of the “Pantocrator,” or Christ as the ruler of the universe. The image is about 42 feet long and 23 feet high. Since the early period of Christianity, mosaics played a central role in worship as they depicted paintings of biblical stories to educate believers.

Sicilian art historian Maria Katja Guida explained that, over the centuries, the precious mosaics underwent various restorations. “Two in particular were important. One, carried out at the end of the 15th or mid 17th century, introduced more or less realistic environments into the scenes – floors with tiles drawn in perspective, meadows in flower, rolling hills,” said Guida. “The other, following the fire in 1811, resulted in a widespread renewal of figures and scenes, especially in the areas above the central bay and in the two arms of the transept, reconstructing the figures on the basis of the inscriptions or the descriptions of Del Giudice. The 19th century restorers completed the unfinished work of the reignof William II with the decoration of the lateral walls of the windows of the upper story of the Church.”

In addition to the church, William also built an adjoining monastery for the Benedictines of Cava dei Tirreni and a cloister with a Moresque colonnade. The magnificent cloister, which is arranged in an elegant quadrangle delimited by 208 twin marble columns, is the only element that still remains from the original Benedictine complex located next to the cathedral. The columns support elegant pointed arches with decorated lava and tuff-stone lintels. The capitals display scenes of Sicily’s Norman history complete with knights and kings as well as scenes from the Bible, lives of the saints, gargoyles, and floral motifs. The cloister is enriched with a fountain in Arabic style located in the southwest corner.

The chapel also holds the tombs of William I “The Bad” and of William II “The Good,” as well as those of Margaret of Navarre and the French king Louis IX.

Monreale Cathedral is open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 2:15-5:15 p.m. Face coverings are required in the cathedral. Last tickets are sold 30 minutes prior to closing. Make sure to visit the “Cathedral Treasure,” which includes reliquaries, ornaments, chalices, pyxes, and a precious walnut sacristy cabinet. On top of the church, the tower upstairs offers a panoramic view of Palermo and the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley located below Monreale.

The cloister is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Sundays and holidays, it is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Driving inside Monreale is not advisable because parking space is limited in town. Instead, you can leave your vehicle outside the city and walk toward the historic center. A large private parking lot located behind the cathedral is also available. Monreale can be easily reached from Corso Calatafimi, one of Palermo’s main avenues, which is located near the cathedral. Drive straight for about 20 minutes toward the northern area of Palermo until you to arrive at Monreale.

For more information and tickets visit https://www. duomomonreale.com/