Monreale

Monreale is a village located at the top of a hill close to Palermo. You can catch the bus in the city centre and reach it in half an hour. It is famous for the cathedral, a masterpiece of Norman and Byzantine art. It was built by King William II and it was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Next to it there is the cloister: it is a quiet place where to walk and look at the 216 columns. Each one is different from the other. The Byzantine mosaics represent scenes of the Bible and the New Testament, like the ones in Cefalu and Palermo. Climbing up to the terrace you can have a panoramic view of the cloister and the surrounding landscape.

photo -> Europe -> Italy -> Sicily -> Monreale