The interior of the cathedral features an ever-increasing decorative rhythm on the surface of the walls and pillars, starting from the main entrance to the altar. In the space between the [approfondimenti id="49683" testo_link="naves"], the wall area underneath the mosaics is covered in white marbl...

Entering the sacred building from the main west-facing portal, which [approfondimenti id="48004" testo_link="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...

We turn our attention towards the northern entrance, which immediately appears smaller and less plastic than the main one. Evidence of its existence has reached us through the provisions of the [approfondimenti id="49524" testo_link="Royal Visitor Monsignor Francesco Vento"] who, in 1542, ordered it...

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 on a journey, steeped in mysticism and wonder, into the imposing building of Monreale, dedicated to Santa Maria la Nuova.Nothing remains of ...

The position of the towers on each side of the main façade of the Monreale Cathedral corresponds, in terms of width and depth, with the measurements of a portico, built at the same time as the church. Due to a collapse, it was replaced by the one we see today, which dates back to 1770. The imposin...

[caption id="attachment_39435" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The central courtyard of the cloister is canonically defined as a garden, in which no flower essences are planted because they are deciduous; instead, the flowers are sculpted in the capitals, in the eternal nature of the stone. The gar...

The young [approfondimenti id="48004" testo_link="William II’s"] ambitious project not only represented an important religious testimony in defence of the Papacy, but was also an eloquent example of the sovereign's self-celebration and the attribution of privileges that only belonged to the Empero...

Over the centuries, a number of hypotheses have emerged regarding the foundation of the Cathedral of Monreale. The most widely known of these is that [approfondimenti id="48004" testo_link="William II"], overcome by tiredness during a hunting trip inside the Royal Park created by [approfondimenti id...

Following the difficult thirty years of the conquest, Norman rule favourably influenced a balanced synthesis between [approfondimenti id="49421" testo_link="Western Latin, Eastern Byzantine and Arab Islamic cultures"], although Christianity was at the heart of the restoration, thanks to the unifying...

The balanced system of luxuriant Islamic gardens in the plain of Palermo, with the advent of the [approfondimenti id="49351" testo_link="Norman kingdom in Sicily"], maintained its splendour thanks to the presence of Arab craftsmen and architects, to whom the sovereigns entrusted the creation of new ...