Palermo and Monreale

The Unesco World Heritage Norman Cathedral of Monreale is worldwide famous for its magnificent 50,000 square feet of precious gold mosaics. Nearly every surface is covered with intricately-detailed mosaics depicting biblical scenes in rich colors and gold filigree. It was finished in just under 10 years between the end of the 12th c. and the middle of the 13th c. A colossal half-figure of Christ Giving Benediction stands in the middle of the central apse. Settled by the Phoenicians in the 8th century B.c., Palermo fell first to the Romans, then the Arabs, who chose Palermo for their capital, making the city one of the most magnificent and powerful in the world. This splendor was compounded during the Norman reign. Palermo delivers a heady, heavily spiced mix of Byzantine mosaics, Arabesque domes and frescoed cupolas. This is a city at the edge of Europe and at the centre of the ancient world, a place where souk-like markets rub against baroque churches, where date palms frame Gothic palaces. The Cathedral of Palermo was built on the site of an existing basilica, transformed by the Arabs into a mosque and then restored by the Normans to a place of Christian worship. This shows its unique blend of architectural styles over the years. The heart of the town is marked by the Quattro Canti area, an intersection of two of the main streets in the city. This is swathed in sculptural decoration in baroque style. Just steps from the Quattro canti, Fountain of shame stands beautifully among other baroque and Norman buildings. The fountain was originally intended for a Florentine garden, but was then moved down south. Buildings destroyed in World War II have been left open to the sky and their courtyards used as romantic dining locations while a bombed-out church is used as an arts venue.