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Monreale and its glittering mosaics
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Monreale is reached from Palermo by way of Corso Calatafirni, which leads to the uphill road created in the 18th c. and decorated by the scenographic Fisherman's Fountain (1768), and the Dragon Fountain (1767) both by Ignazio Marabitti. Monreale dates from the late Middle Ages, when it began to develop around the great architectural mass of the Cathedral. A bishop's see since the year 1183, Monreale has maintained over the centuries a role of prime importance.
Main monuments and highlights of Monreale
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The Cathedral was built on the orders of King William II between 1172 and 1176. It is massive and regular in shape, an aspect which is further stressed by the two powerful bell-towers. The front part of the façade and the apsidal area in particular are embellished with a complex series of decorations consisting of interlaced arches, alternating with lava and limestone inlays which spread refined elegance over all the surfaces. The portico in the façade is an 18th c. addition. The porta Regum, which is the main door of the Cathedral, is an admirable work in bronze by Bonanno Pisano; it is signed and dated 1186. The other door, on the left side of the Cathedral, is by Barisano da Trani. The nave and aisles stretch out longitudinally and the raised sanctuary is centrically planned. The ceiling is a modem remake of the original one destroyed by fire in 1811. The walls are entirely decorated by a splendid series of mosaics which constitutes the most complete cycle of mosaics in the Byzantine tradition. Stories from the Bible are represented in the central nave. Episodes from the Gospels are portrayed along the right aisle and on the arches of the sanctuary. The mosaics in the apses, with stories from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, culminate in the great apsidal cupola, with the majestic figure of Christ Pantocrator. There are many other considerably interesting works in the Cathedral. In the left part is the 17th c. Chapel of the Crucifix, splendidly decorated with variegated marbles. There is an l5th c. crucifix over the altar. Also noteworthy are the two statues of Ezekiel and Daniel by Baldassare Pampillonia, a 16thc. Gaginesque marble ciborium, and the bronze gate that closes the chapel. From here we enter the Cathedral Treasury which displays among other things a number of reliquaries, church ornaments and vestments, pixies, chalices, and a walnut sacristy cabinet (1690). In the main apse there is a refined altar, sculpted by Luigi Valadier in 1771, and there are two small baroque altars in the side apses. To the right of the sanctuary are the tombs of William I and II, the latter remade in l575. Nearby is the Cappella di San Benedetto (1369), a chapel with a splendid relief by Marabitti over the high altar of the Apotheosis of St Benedict. The buildings of the 12th c. Benedictine Monastery used to stand to the right side of the Cathedral. Now few parts of these buildings remain. The Cloister is however intact. This admirable construction of considerable artistic merit is square in plan. The small columns are arranged in regular and harmonious order; the capitals, masterpieces by artists of various origin (S Italy, Province), support elegant pointed arches with lintels splendidly decorated with alternating lava and tufa-stone inlays. One capital, near the S comer, represents Williarn II in the act of presenting the Cathedral to the Virgin Mary. Close by, an elegant fountain, with a central gushing pillar in the shape of a palm-tree, evokes the enchanted atmosphere of Oriental pleasure gardens. Some other buildings dating from the 17th-18th c. are also worth mentioning. The Town Hall, built in the 18th c., contains an interesting painting of the Nativity, by Mattia Stomer, and a sculptural group by Antonello Gagini of the Madonna and Child with Saints. The Chiesa del Monte is decorated with precious stuccos by Serpotta (18th c.). The 17th c. Chiesa della Collegiata has been much modified in the course of time. It contains four fine paintings by Marco Benefial (The Deposition, the Resurrection, the Pious Women at the Sepulchre, the Ascension). There is an expressive crucifix over the high altar. The 18th c. Chiesa del Collegio di Maria is octagonal in plan and has a cupola over the presbytery. From Piazza Guglielmo II we go to the Belvedere, overlooking the Conca d'Oro. Here we can visit the Civic Gallery of Modern Art, with its - play of sculptures and paintings. Excursions: to the Castellaccio, also known as the Castello di San Benedetto, on the summit of Monte Caputo, and to the nearby Abbey of San Martino.
Text taken from: "Sicily and its islands" by Ugo La Rosa editore.
Other main destinations in Sicily
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Other main destinations in Sicily are: Palermo - Piazza Armerina - Cefalů - Erice - Segesta - Selinunte - Agrigento - Taormina - Caltagirone - Siracusa - Catania - Mount Etna - Aeolian Islands
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BlueStone Tourism Services
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Address
Eris Centre - Suite 309
Via Pulica s.n.
Lotto Colle del Gelsomino
95024 Aci S. Antonio (CT)
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Fax +39.095.7652696 (ext.319)
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