DUOMO DI MONTREALE - MONREALE CATHEDRAL

The facade. Two powerful quadrangular towers (only the right one is completed) delimit the façade of the building, which is decorated in its upper part with a frieze representing braided arches. Below the 18th-century portico is the main portal, closed by splendid bronze doors divided into 42 panels depicting biblical scenes. It is a unique work by Bonnano Pisano dating back to 1186. On the left side of the church there is another beautiful portal decorated with bronze doors dating back to 1179, on which the saints and evangelists are depicted in 28 frames. The exterior of the apse, decorated with braided arches and geometric motifs, is a beautiful representation of the Sicilian Arab-Norman architecture.

The interior. Splendid. Its plan is that of the Latin cross basilicas and the naves are separated by 2 rows of 9 columns, all of which come from ancient Roman buildings. On their capitals, we can notice the broken arches of arabizing type. The choir is almost a separate building, raised and flanked by three apses facing east, following the Byzantine tradition. Superb works of art, such as the polychrome herringbone ceiling, rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire, or the beautiful marble inlaid pavement of the 16th century, contribute to the beauty of the place. The works placed above the royal throne, representing Christ crowning William II, and those of the king offering the church to the Virgin on the sides of the presbytery are also interesting. Venturing into the right part of the choir, there are two sarcophagi: the 12th-century porphyry sarcophagus of William I and the 16th-century marble sarcophagus of William II. Baroque altars, reliquaries of the Gagini school and Marabitti's round-bosses, placed under the central altar, also enrich the cathedral.

The mosaic. Jewel of the cathedral, the cycle of Byzantine mosaics with golden backgrounds runs along the upper walls. With its 6,340 square meters, it is the largest in Italy, built between 1180 and 1190. The various frames depict episodes from the Bible and the New Testament, accompanied by inscriptions in Greek and Latin. The Genesis scenes in the central nave are particularly beautiful, while the majestic Christ Pantocrator ideally completes the entire cycle.

The Treasury. The Treasury, richly decorated with polychrome marble, displays a small number of sacred objects, some of which were made in France. Note the reliquary of the Sacred Thorn (part, according to tradition, of Christ's crown), in Gothic style, it belonged to Philip III of Spain, but also a small enamel on copper box dating from the 13th century.

The cloister. Together with the southern wing, it is the only remnant of the Benedictine convent. Its superb structure has a square plan of about 50 m on each side. The 228 double columns, decorated with rich polychrome mosaics, support very beautiful arcades in the Arab-Norman style. The Romanesque capitals, all different, magnificently sculpted in the most varied forms, represent religious scenes. The south side is occupied by a small refined fountain of Arab influence which, according to the legend, would make the women who dip their hands in it young again by 10 years! There is no risk in trying to do so...