Monreale, Medieval cathedral town in Sicily, Italy.
Monreale is a small hilltop town on the slopes of Monte Caputo in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily. Its narrow streets wind downward toward the fertile plain of Conca d'Oro, where citrus and olive groves fill the valley below.
King William II of Sicily founded a Benedictine monastery here in 1174, turning the settlement into a religious center within a few years. The pope granted it the status of a bishop's seat in 1183, securing its spiritual role in the region.
The church goes by the full name of Santa Maria Nuova and draws visitors who come to see the gold-covered walls and ceilings that tell stories from the Old and New Testaments. Local families still attend Sunday mass here, and the cloister next door serves as a quiet place to walk and rest between visits to the surrounding streets.
Regular bus lines connect the town with Palermo, and the ride takes about half an hour, ending near the main cathedral square. The streets climb steeply in places, so comfortable shoes help when walking through the old center and up to the higher viewpoints.
The cloister next to the cathedral displays 228 marble columns, and no two are alike in their carved patterns and decorations. The columns combine Norman, Arab, and Provençal influences, reflecting the diverse contacts Sicily had in the 12th century.
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