Posted by Haley Topper on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

On Tuesday, the class took a trip to the town of Monreale which is in the province of Palermo. We explored the town, but most importantly, we got to see the Cathedral. Walking into it was breathtaking, and it is one of the most gorgeous things I have ever seen. There is an overwhelming amount of gold and every detail is so intricate. The cathedral “opened” 15 years after building began, but not everything inside of it was finished by the time of use. Even so, to imagine someone building this incredible place in 15 years is very impressive.

This Cathedral is UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its Norman-Byzantine design. The Normans, who were vikings from France, had come to Sicily upon request from the Pope to spread Christianity. The Normans commissioned the church to be build in the 12th century, and it features both Norman and Arab architecture and Byzantine mosaics. Before you walk in to the Cathedral, there are two statues, one of William the 2nd and one of the Virgin Mary. They depict William giving the Cathedral to the Virgin Mary, a way of dedicating the church to her.

The Byzantines typically used the colors of gold, green, blue, and red, all of which are very present in the Cathedral mosaics. As you walk in, towards the back of the Cathedral, there is a large mosaic of Jesus (above everyone), The Virgin Mary, and other saints (always below Jesus). As he olds up the two fingers he uses to bless with, he wears a red undergarment (the color of blood and life) and a blue robe (symbolizing heaven and things of divine nature). The brightness of the gold behind them is striking, illuminating the entire Cathedral.

On the sides, the mosaics tell stories of creation, the old testament, and new testament. You can distinctly see the creation of earth, water and man, the story of Adam and Eve, and Noah creating the Arc. The mosaics are incredibly intricate and realistic, an impressive feat to complete in such a small amount of time. The Duomo in Cefalú is similar to this Cathedral, however, it was never finished. It was explained, though, that the Duomo would have looked very similar to the Duomo in Monreale if it had been completed.

These Cathedrals were so detailed and ornate, something that is different from what my church looked like. Although my church was big, there were more statues and paintings rather than mosaics. Additionally, my church had many stain glass windows that depicted scenes from the bible rather than mosaics. The difference in beauty could be attributed to the difference in importance of religion. Now a days, religion is important to those who practice it, but we do not attempt to create these ostentatious Cathedrals like the one in Monreale. However, during the time of the Normans, Christianity and religion were everything. It was said that if you had no religion, you were no one. Because of the overwhelming importance, the Cathedrals and their beauty were imperative to the cities’ inhabitants and rulers.