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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Monreale
Monreale
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Monreale is a small city in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, Italy, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the beautiful and very fertile valley called La Conca d'oro, the Golden Shell famed for its orange, olive and almond trees, the produce of which is exported in large quantities. The town has approximately 30,000 inhabitants and is located 15 kilometers south of Palermo.
Monreale was a mere village, which owed its origin to the founding of a large Benedictine monastery, with its church, the seat of the metropolitan archbishop of Sicily. The Cathedral of Monreale is the greatest of all the monuments of the wealth and artistic taste of the Norman kings in northern Sicily. It was begun about 1170 by William II, and in 1182 the church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was, by a bull of Pope Lucius III, elevated to the rank of a metropolitan cathedral. The archiepiscopal palace and monastic buildings on the south side were of great size and magnificence, and were surrounded by a massive precinct wall, crowned at intervals by twelve towers.
In the central apse at Monreale, behind the high altar, is a fine marble throne for the archbishop. This position of the throne is a survival of the early basilican arrangement, when the apse and altar were at the west end. In that case the celebrant stood behind the altar at mass, and looked over it eastwards towards the people. On the north side, in front of the high altar, is another somewhat similar throne for the use of the king. Monreale is one of the most visited countries. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace.
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