Europe Explored » Sicilia https://europeexplored.com Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 The Cathedral of Monreale – one of the greatest treasures and most important attractions of Sicily, Italy https://europeexplored.com/2011/04/06/the-cathedral-of-monreale-one-of-the-greatest-treasures-and-most-important-attractions-of-sicily-italy/ https://europeexplored.com/2011/04/06/the-cathedral-of-monreale-one-of-the-greatest-treasures-and-most-important-attractions-of-sicily-italy/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:53:08 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=2504 Not far from Palermo, in a small obscure town of Monreale, you can find one of the most famous monuments of the old Norman kingdom – The Cathedral of Monreale (Santa Maria la Nuova). It was built in the 12th century by the most powerful Norman King William II of Sicily, also known as William […]

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]]> Not far from Palermo, in a small obscure town of Monreale, you can find one of the most famous monuments of the old Norman kingdom – The Cathedral of Monreale (Santa Maria la Nuova). It was built in the 12th century by the most powerful Norman King William II of Sicily, also known as William The Good. The Cathedral of Monreale was built as a token of his great power.

The town of Monreale has today around 25 thousand inhabitants. Thanks to its location near the Sicilian capital city, Monreale has almost become one of the turbulent suburbs of Palermo. But if you visit this site, you should definitely visit The Cathedral of Monreale, which is thanks to its mosaics one of the greatest treasures of this Italian island.


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The Cathedral of Monreale is a kind of monument to Arab, Norman and Byzantine art and architecture. Its construction began in 1172 at the instigation of King William II, who wanted to use the cathedral as his tomb, after his death. Therefore, a court architects tried to overcome other royal temples. Not only the building itself, but also the decor was influenced by French, Islamic and Byzantine designs. The cathedral is a massive three-nave building, 102 meters long. However, it looks quite modest from the outside. West facade is, except of the portal to the ornate gates, very curt. Cathedral is in addition covered by a largely urban area with an adjacent monastery.

You can see the beautiful bronze door from 1186, which are decorated with 42 biblical scenes. There are features of a lion and a griffon here, which were symbols of the Norman royal family. On the left side of the church you can see another bronze door from the year 1179, which are mainly influenced by Byzantine art. But the main attraction is the cathedral’s interior.

So if you’re interested in art and history, the Cathedral of Monreale should really be included on the your must-see list.


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]]> https://europeexplored.com/2011/04/06/the-cathedral-of-monreale-one-of-the-greatest-treasures-and-most-important-attractions-of-sicily-italy/feed/ 1 Palermo – the craziest city in Europe | Sicily, Italy https://europeexplored.com/2010/09/02/palermo-the-craziest-city-in-europe/ https://europeexplored.com/2010/09/02/palermo-the-craziest-city-in-europe/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:44:01 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=1391 Palermo is a historical city in the northwest of the island of Sicily in Italy. It is also the cultural, economic and touristic capital of Sicily. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old and has […]

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]]> Palermo is a historical city in the northwest of the island of Sicily in Italy. It is also the cultural, economic and touristic capital of Sicily. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old and has 855,285 residents – they speak Italian language and the Sicilian dialect (which is absolutely different than Italian language). If you want to see anything special in Europe, try to visit Palermo and you’ll find that it is absolutely different from all the rest of Europe.


View Piazza Pretoria with the Fontana Pretoria on the Larger Map

Imaginary center of Palermo is Piazza Vigliena where meet two main streets of the city – Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele. It was designed in the 17th Century by well-known Florentine architect Giulio Lasso. The square is surrounded by four majestic buildings with a richly decorated facade. In front of each of them there is a fountain. The sculptures in various niches show four seasons, the Spanish king and saint patron of the city. Sometimes the square is called the “Solar Theater”, since when come here at any time of day, at least one of the facades is beautifully illuminated by the sun.


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Just a few minutes away you will find a major landmark of the city – Cathedral of Palermo. It was built in the 12th century at the former place of basilica and mosque. Even today, observant visitors may have noticed engraved version of the Koran in one of its pillars. The building has retained its Norman Sicilian style, however the most of what we can see today dates back to the Renaissance period.


View Cathedral of Palermo on the Larger Map

Quite morbid, but for someone attractive can be a visit to the catacombs of the Capuchin Monastery – Catacomb dei Cappuccini. There are located approx. 8000 mummies of the former residents of Palermo. You definitely should not miss a tour to a nearby hill of Monte Pellegrino, from which you can enjoy spectacular views of the city.

The airport is located thirty kilometers west of Palermo and you can get a bus to the centre of Palermo, which I personally think that it is the most craziest city in Europe and that I have ever seen.

What to see in Palermo

  • Quattro Canti is a small square
  • Piazza Pretoria with the Fontana Pretoria
  • The Teatro Politeama
  • The Teatro Massimo
  • Palermo Cathedral – the city’s cathedral and main church
  • San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi church
  • San Giovanni degli Eremiti
  • Chiesa della Martorana
  • San Cataldo
  • Santa Maria della Gancia
  • Santa Maria della Catena
  • San Giuseppe dei Teatini
  • Oratorio di San Lorenzo
  • Orto botanico di Palermo
  • Capuchin Catacombs

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