MONREALE

(100 km) The town, preferred by the Norman kings as a summer residence, is famous throughout the world for the splendid cathedral and the annexed former Benedictine monastery with the remarkable 12th century cloister.

The Cathedral of Monreale was founded in 1174 by the Norman king William II, and is considered one of the most important monuments of the Italian Middle Ages; the facade inserted between two towers welcomes the bronze door created by Bonanno Pisano in 1186, the very high apse,

it is decorated with intertwined arches and dazzling colored inlays. Inside divided into three majestic naves, you can admire the precious mosaics on the upper walls which represent the stories of the Old and New Testaments, with legends in Latin and Greek.

Also worth visiting is the Giuseppe Sciortino Civic Gallery of Modern Art, which houses the most representative works of contemporary painters and sculptors in two rooms,

the seminary of the Clerics, a Renaissance adaptation of the ancient Norman royal palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, from where you can enjoy a magnificent panorama.