April 20, 2019
Duomo Monreale , also referred to as the Cathedral of Monreale, sits at height over the valley in which Palermo resides. The views of the city, the large natural port, and the surrounding urban and rural zones are expansive. Here’s a video with some good shots of the valley, taking you then to the Duomo and the adjacent cloisters.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i557UcxWpys[/embedyt]
The cathedral was built under the Norman King Guillermo II, who along with his brother is buried here in a coffin aside a petition near the altar. Legend would have it that he fell asleep beneath a tree in the nearby forest. In a dream, Mary told him to build a church here. They found treasure in the tree’s roots. The gold financed the project, which began in 1172. The result today is a UNESCO Heritage Site, one of Italy’s finest churches. It is in the Arabo-Norman Style, 102 x 40 meters in size. The interior is wall to ceiling in what I would call ‘late’ Byzantine style mosaics. The underlying drawings are a bit more realistic than what you might find in Orthodox churches. There is not a bare centimeter anywhere in the buliding. The floors are exquisitely formed patterns in marble. The arches are Moorish in style as is the external decor.
There is an extensive wiki so for more about this superb building. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monreale_Cathedral
Peg’s photos
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Hey,
Do you visit Palermo often? If so do you see the Monreale Cathedral often? I’m asking you to do a favor for me? I’m looking for a vendor’s booth outside the church that sells religious items, namely religious holy cards. There’s a vendor who sells a large score of them, including several laminated ones. What I would like to know is if I can contact this vendor online and have him send me his contact information. What would like to do is purchase or at least order one of each of the stock he has available and if he can make me an offer on them. I was there a few weeks ago and due to uncontrollable circumstances, I was unable to do so at the time. Immediate reply requested.
Thanks, Gina-Maria
Hi, sorry we are not there any longer. Would have been happy to try. I thought I replied already but I do not see it.