Monreale Cathedral

Monreale Cathedral

A 12th-century marvel blending Norman, Byzantine, Arab, and Romanesque styles, featuring vast mosaics and a cloister with 228 intricately carved columns.
Monreale Cathedral, built in the 12th century under William II, draws together Norman, Byzantine, Arab and Romanesque traditions in a remarkably coherent whole. Its mosaics cover more than 6,000 square metres and include an imposing Christ Pantocrator in the apse. The adjoining cloister, with its 228 carved columns, rewards close attention for the variety of its decoration. Few buildings express Sicily’s cultural complexity with such clarity.