Tag Archives: Duomo di Monreale
Mosaics in the Cathedral of Monreale
We’ve already established that I suck at history, and while we’re on the topic of embarrassing self-disclosures, I confess I didn’t realize until recently that Normans were French. Here’s what I do know about Normans (other than that they all seem to have been named William): they built some gorgeous Romanesque buildings. In Sicily, once […]

The cloister of Monreale Cathedral
There’s a certain reaction I have, when looking though an art history book, an “Aha, there you are!” recognition that’s–let’s face it– a sense of entitlement. I study the reproduction of a building or artwork and say to myself with certainty, “I am going to go see that.” Without fail, I have always felt just that […]

Magnificent Monreale Cathedral, an amazing cloister followed by a beef spleen sandwich
The Cathedral of Monreale in Monreale, Sicily, exceeded my high expectations. Until I have a chance to write more, I’ll tease you with a few photos of the mosaics and cloister. Dating from around 1200, the cathedral and it’s art are pristinely preserved. After a day in Monreale, we returned to Palermo and furthered our […]