Monreale
Monreale is a town in the province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, with 38 562 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012).
Location and data
Monreale is located 7 km southwest of Palermo on the slope of Monte Caputo. The inhabitants work mainly in agriculture, commerce, trade and tourism.
The neighboring municipalities are Alcamo (TP) Alto Fonte, Bisacquino, Borgetto Calatafimi Segesta ( TP), Camporeale, Carini, Contessa Entellina Corleone, Giardinello, Gibellina ( TP), Godrano, Marineo, Montelepre, Palermo, Partinico, Piana degli Albanesi, Poggio Reale ( TP), Roccamena, San Cipirello, San Giuseppe Jato, Santa Cristina Gela and Torretta.
Monreale has an exceptionally large municipal territory, which still runs from the main town about 30 km inland. The surface formed by the municipalities of San Cipirello and San Giuseppe Jato is an enclave within the municipal area of Monreale.
History
The Sicilian King William II built after 1172 Monreale as the seat of a monastery and had built there a fortress-like building complex which also included a cathedral, a Archiepiscopal Palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. 1183 by Pope Lucius III he could. obtain the collection of the monastery to the archbishopric of Monreale. Of the buildings today only the cathedral has been preserved with the cloister.
To this complex developed around the medieval village.
Demographics
Structures
The most famous building is the Cathedral of Monreale, a Normannenbau from the 12th century. It shows the symbiosis of Romanesque ( building ), Arabic ( blind arches, inlaid on the outer walls, especially the apses ) and Byzantine ( gold ground mosaics on the interior walls ) art that was prevalent at that time in Sicily. With approximately 6,340 m² surface mosaic from the 12th century, it is one of the most famous cathedrals in Sicily. Particularly worth seeing is the Romanesque cloister, and the famous bronze doors of Pisano from the year 1186th Every year about one million tourists to visit this building.
The town hall dates from the 18th century and contains some valuable paintings. The mountain church was built in the 18th century. In the Collegiate Church from the 17th century painting of Marco Benefial are seen. The Collegio di Maria Church has an octagonal floor plan.
On Monte Caputo is the Castellaccio, a former stronghold of the Benedictine monks of Monreale.
There is also a puppet theater and a historic old town in the district of Carmel.
Environment
San Martino delle Scale, a resort town, located about 10 km from Monreale. The name derives from a Benedictine abbey there from, which was founded by Pope Gregory I..
Events
- Week of Sacred Music in November
People
- Antonio Veneziano (1543-1593), poet
- Pietro Antonio Novelli (1568-1625), painter of the late Renaissance and Mosaizist
- Guido Messina ( born 1931 ), cyclist