Monreale Travel Guide

 brendareed Says:  “The exterior of the apse is the apogee of Norman decoration.” ~ Eyewitness Travel: SicilyWhen we arrived in Monreale, the cathedral was closed for several hours after lunch. This gave us some time to walk around the outside of the cathedral and get a good look at the art on... 

 brendareed Says:  The colorful mosaics with golden tesserae background cover an astounding 6400 meters square (68,889 square feet). It would appear that no parts of the walls were left untouched by the artisans who completed this project in 1182, a remarkable feat given the building of the... 

 brendareed Says:  We came to Monreale knowing that we would be climbing the tower – it is what we do (Hubby just has a thing about climbing things and I typically join in the ‘fun’). So after we had seen the interior of the cathedral, we headed towards the back of the nave where we paid the... 

 brendareed Says:  We were unable to get into the cloisters on the day we visited since it was a Monday afternoon and they were only open in the mornings on Mondays. It was a disappointment, but I was able to at least look at them from a distance while on the tower climb. From this vantage... 

 brendareed Says:  While waiting for the cathedral to reopen, we were exploring the outside of the cathedral grounds and happened upon this park that gave us some wonderful views of Palermo and the urban sprawl between the city and Monreale. It was a peaceful place, full of interesting trees... 

 brendareed Says:  In the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele located beside the entrance to the cathedral is an interesting Triton fountain. The fountain was made by Mario Rutelli. I found it made an interesting contrast to the old cathedral behind it and didn’t quite fit into the scheme of the area. I... 

 oriettaIT Says:  After you have seen the cathedral in Palermo and its elaborate outside you will probably be not too impressed by Monreale Dome, but wait to get inside!The famous golden mosaic are all over the place and give to the place a majestic feeling. Be sure to check the timetable for... 

 oriettaIT Says:  Before or after your visit to the Cathedral do not leave out this wonderful place!The peaceful and quiet cloister will astonish and amaze you with hundreds of white columns, some are adorned with mosaics, other has incredible works of carving.The entrance is on the right... 

 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... 

 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... 

 brendareed Says:  We were staying in downtown Palermo and had a rental car, so we drove to Monreale for the afternoon. The roads were quite crowded and, as we learned on our first day in Palermo, the drive is a nerve wracking experience. It wasn’t hard to get to Monreale, once we were on the... 

 oriettaIT Says:  There are different buses to go to Monreale, bus 380 that start in Piazza Indipendenza and A.S.T. bus- Our hotel manager told us that the best one is run by A.S.T. and take off in front of the train station, actually on the other side of the square.They explained us that the... 

 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... 

 brendareed Says:  As we strolled around Monreale, one of my favorite things was walking along the side streets. To be honest, I enjoyed this is almost all the towns we visited. I liked the culture and the atmosphere: women hanging their laundry out to dry on lines from their small balconies,...