hearing

Songs and music to lift hearts to God

To add to the mystical atmosphere that characterised the Cathedral in medieval times, derived from the chants sung by the Benedictines, the space was enriched from 1503 onwards with different types of organs. The liturgy was thus enlivened by music, which, as St. Augustine claimed, was a prayer that...
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smell

The atmosphere of the presbytery

Looking back over the centuries, one naturally wonders about the atmosphere that permeated this place, introduced by the long rows of columns in the central aisle, which accompany the eye in an ever tighter succession of pointed arches, culminating in the central apse with the grandiose image of the...
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sight

The wonder of the mosaic cycle

Sparkling and precious, the entire mosaic mantle of the interior was created by Byzantine craftsmen and local artists over a rather long period of time, between about 1177 and 1183. It follows a precise theological-dogmatic logic, starting from the mosaics of the main aisle, in which scenes from the...
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touch

The profile of the columns

Built in the shape of a Latin cross, the basilica develops longitudinally, starting from the three aisles that divide the central body with nine rows of columns. Closing your eyes, following the outline of the columns, rhythmically arranged on each side of the central aisle, and touching the cold ma...
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smell

Spicy scent of incense

Entering the sacred building from the main west-facing portal, which William II of Hauteville dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an invitation to participate in the most impenetrable expression of the infinite, through a pathway steeped in art that calls at the same time for pr...
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touch

The Bonanno Pisano door

The front elevation of the Cathedral is distinguished by the sense of grandeur of its portico. From its very foundation, it was intended to take the faithful by the hand on a journey, steeped in mysticism and wonder, into the imposing building of Monreale, dedicated to Santa Maria la Nuova. As early...
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hearing

Musical and architectural harmonies

The orderly ensemble of the many mouldings that make up the outer walls of the apses is formed by ogival arches, lower in height, which intersect each other on the same axes with a sinuous rhythm, almost as if to compose a silent melody. The contrast of colours seems to form the musical accompanimen...
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sight

The buildings of the monumental complex

Originally, the Monreale Cathedral was connected to all the surrounding buildings, from the cloister, adjacent to the right side of the church to the south, to the monastery, whose northern wing touched it. The rich external decoration of the Cathedral's three east-facing semicircular apses was link...
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sight

An important construction site

A building such as the Monreale Cathedral, outlined by a multiform stylistic syncretism, reflected a deep religious implication promoted by William II. The ruler succeeded in consolidating the Western Christian influence through a fruitful and peaceful dialogue with the Byzantine-Oriental and Muslim...
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hearing

Parks, gardens and water features

In the parks and gardens, you can hear the water gushing. The knowledge with which the Arab culture was imbued, starting with the development of science and mathematics, also involved the reorganisation of the layout of Palermo. The city became an area where studies on water channelling systems, inc...
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