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Latest Monreale hotel reviews
Pro
The cathedral, and the wonderful views
Con
None really, allowing for the limitations of any small town
In a nutshell
"He who visits Palermo without seeing Monreale leaves a donkey & comes back an ass" - proverb
toonsarah Says: As I said in my intro, our taxi driver in Monreale claimed that this was the most beautiful cathedral in the world, and once inside it’s not too difficult to feel that he might have a point, despite the many other claimants to that title. The cathedral is rightly considered...
domenicococozza Says: Tourists flock to Monreale for one reason - to see the Cathedral. Unquestionably, the greatest architectural achievement of the Normans in Sicily. Construction started in 1170 under the watchful eye of King William 11 of Sicily. This remarkable cathedral has some of the best...
al_mary Says: The Monreale Cathedral is a definatemust to see if you are in Sicily. It is a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditionalRomanesque architecture, all combined in a perfect blend of the best that both the Christian and Muslim worlds of...
toonsarah Says: The cloisters at Monreale are another star attraction. The entrance is in a corner of the piazza immediately in front of the cathedral, and there’s a charge of 6 Euros, which seemed a little dear to us compared with the 2 Euros we’d paid to go up on the roof, but it is worth...
toonsarah Says: In the north east corner of Monreale’s stunning cathedral we came across a small doorway and a sign indicating that for a fee of 2 euros we could get a view of the cloisters. We paid our fee and found ourselves not going out into the famous cloisters themselves, but climbing...
Cathedral Cloister: Column Bases (A Speculation)
hquittner Says: If you look at the stone bases upon which columns are mounted you find carved round bases in the Ionic and most Corinthian and later styles. I have noticed carvings imposed on these bases( many but not all; most often Romanesque). I do not find mention of this in books on...
The Cathedral Cloister : The South Wall
hquittner Says: This was the wall of the Dormitory of the Monastery which probably existed befor the other structures were initiated. It has a Norman-Romanesque style with a little Moorish influence. Wm. II brought Benedictine Cluniac monks here before starting hismaster plan to control the...
The Cathedral Cloister : The Fountain
hquittner Says: The Moorish influence is most visible here. The stylized zig-zag mosaics and bulbous fountain head ("palm-tree") and the psychological association of splashing water to begin with! But from the foliate top we descend to a row of miniature lion spouts (shades of the Alhambra)...
The Cathedral Cloister: Water Source("Chiostrino")
hquittner Says: The most unusual aspect of the cloister is this structure. It sits at the SW inside corner of the cloister and blends in with the entire structure. It is without roof, with a 4 column inner corner, but is otherwise like the rest. At its center is the reason for its...
The Cathedral Cloister : The Capitals
hquittner Says: The rebirth of sculture occurred in the carving of the capitals of cloisters and spread to the tympani over the associated church portals( and funerary plaques), then pulpits and finally free standing statuary. They are a challenge to behold because they contain the germs of...
The Cathedral Cloister : The Columns
hquittner Says: The columns are small compared with the ancient ones inside the church, The technic for making large ones or their transport from quarries was not well developed. But they turned them out in large numbers for the other buildings as well. The majority have an innovative...
The Cathedral Cloister: The First View
hquittner Says: This is a large square structure with 228 paired columns. Every column is different!(The reason for this variety is unknown).The columns are topped by carved capitals but there does not appear to be a theme to any groups of them. The columns occur in pairs except at the 4...
1 Review and 67 Opinions We knew where the hotel was located but had difficulty getting on the street.(See our Intro section...
Taverna del Pavone Trattoria: Taverna del Pavone
Paisleypaul Says: Slightly cramped looking inside, but a load of room to the outside, all under a canopy on one of the hottest days during ferragosto. A stone's throw from the Dome / Piazza Gugliemo II /Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, and much more to offer than the rather pizzeria and tavola calda...
Pizzeria Peppino: Good pizzas in a cozy setting
toonsarah Says: This unpretentious pizzeria was very welcoming on a chilly evening. The first thing you see when you go in is a large pizza oven, and the tempting ingredients laid out on the counter in front of it. There’s a huge selection of pizzas but not a lot else apart from some...
Taverna del Pavonne: Stylish yet simple
toonsarah Says: We had lunch here on our last day in Sicily and it was probably the best meal we had during our short trip. I started with Sarde a Beccafico (sardines filled with Crumb, Raisin, Pine-seeds and Lemon-juice), followed by Pasta alla Norma, a Sicilian favourite with a tomato,...
Paisleypaul Says: The bus for Monreale is number 389 and leaves from Piazza Independenzia near the Norman Palace. It leaves from the West side of the square - if you can get your bearings ! The maps of Palermo all look North to South but are in fact running West - East beacuse the city is on...
You need euro dollars at church
hquittner Says: Not only in Monreale, but many places have their masterpieces in the protective dark. This is one of many difficulties for picture takers. The Cathedral is no exception. There are 3 {maybe more?) problems. 1) bringing the correct change. In Monreale it is ONLY single euro...
isolina_it Says: He just stands at the corner of a path you have to go through if you want to go on visiting the village, so what comes natural is that you start stroking at the pony but...there it is the old man asks for some coins for a pic.\anyway, i got the pic but...i dont remember if i...
toonsarah Says: In the piazza in front of the cathedral we found this local artist at work. I confess I didn’t feel tempted to buy any of his paintings, but I enjoyed watching him engrossed in his work, and he seemed happy for me to take as many photos as I wanted.
toonsarah Says: Of course the big attractions in Monreale are the cathedral and the adjacent cloisters, but it’s worth taking the time to explore the back streets too, for a look at everyday life in Sicily. Head uphill away from the cathedral and you’ll find yourself wandering between...
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Plan a Monreale vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Monreale locals
After visiting the cathedral, there is more to see... next door is a Benedictine abbey and its cloisters. It's a good place to get away from the tourist crowds...
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1
Serendipity took us to Monreale. Visiting Sicily for a football match in Palermo we decided it would be good to stay somewhere a little more peaceful outside the city and found ourselves out in the...
2
The city is extended along a balcony dominating the valley of Oreto. Monreale represents an exceptional and finished exemplification of the rich and composite Norman culture in Sicily. Also without......
3
I've got some interesting experiences in Monreale. I'd love to share with you the 2 tips I've written, the 3 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
4
Monreale - Cathedral City of Sicily
Great views of Palermo and the Conca d'Oro - again from atop the Cathedral ! All roads lead here in Monreale - so I will start with a corrected translation of the rather pidgin English aside the...
5
Monreale: A Hill Town & World-Class Cathedral
Our arrival in Monreale (pop.30K) from Segesta(by S113 & 186)(a winding road) was at dusk and with relief. We almost reached the town square where a one way street would lead us directly to our hotel...
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