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00 Monreale
Stemma di Monreale

Sicily · Palermo

Monreale

Above the Conca d'Oro, the cathedral William II built between 1174 and 1182 holds 6,340 square meters of Norman mosaics.

Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
By car
44 min from Palermo
By train
Station in the comune
Population
38,698

Known for

  • I MOSAICI

    6,340 square meters of Byzantine mosaics, the largest surviving Norman cycle in Italy, executed by masters from Constantinople and Venice on a gold ground.

  • IL CHIOSTRO

    2,200 m² Romanesque cloister with 216 paired marble columns and no two capitals alike, among the most complete in Europe.

  • WILLIAM II

    Founded by William II of Sicily in 1174 to rival the archbishopric of Palermo; cathedral elevated to metropolitan rank in 1182, UNESCO since 2015.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

  • J12°
  • F14°
  • M15°
  • A18°
  • M23°
  • J30°
  • J33°
  • A32°
  • S28°
  • O23°
  • N18°
  • D14°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

Monreale sits on the southwestern slope of Monte Caputo, eight kilometers from Palermo, looking down across the Conca d'Oro toward the Tyrrhenian. William II of Sicily founded the Benedictine abbey here in 1174 and the cathedral, Santa Maria Nuova, was elevated to metropolitan rank in 1182. The mosaics inside cover 6,340 square meters, the largest surviving Byzantine cycle in Italy, executed in coloured glass on a gold ground by masters William brought from Constantinople and Venice.

The cloister, 2,200 square meters of pointed arches and 216 paired marble columns, is one of the most complete Romanesque cloisters in Europe, with no two capitals carved alike. The cathedral and cloister joined the UNESCO Arab-Norman Palermo inscription in 2015. The town carries the Città della Ceramica title for the workshops that grew up around the cathedral. Below the Duomo, the streets fall steeply toward the Conca d'Oro and back up to Palermo.

The Sunday letter

Monreale is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Monreale comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Monreale in our articles

How to get there

From Catania (CTA), about 3h 14m by car.

By car from the centre of Palermo 44 minutes.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Palermo?

Coming by train into Palermo Centrale? Monreale is about 43 minutes away by road.

Monreale, photo 1
Monreale, photo 2

What to see

  • Duomo di Monreale (Santa Maria Nuova)

    Cathedral begun in 1174 under William II, 6,340 m² of Byzantine mosaics in coloured glass on gold ground, the largest surviving Norman mosaic cycle in Italy.

  • Chiostro dei Benedettini

    Romanesque cloister of 2,200 m² with 216 paired marble columns, each capital carved differently in foliage, biblical scenes and allegory; among Europe's finest.

  • Palazzo Reale di Monreale

    Twelfth-century Norman royal residence next to the cathedral, partly preserved within the seminary buildings; the rooms William II used during construction of the Duomo.

  • Belvedere sulla Conca d'Oro

    Terraces below the cathedral with the full view across the Conca d'Oro citrus plain to Palermo and the Tyrrhenian beyond.

  • Centro storico medievale

    Stone lanes climbing from the Duomo to the upper village, baroque palazzi from the seventeenth century, ceramic workshops along Via Roma and Via Arcivescovado.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Monreale fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • CiambraRistorante

    Ciambra has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.

  • Ristorante La BotteRistorante

    A place on Italy's historic-locali register, at Ristorante La Botte.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 38,698
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Catania, 3 h 14 min drive
  • Regional capital Palermo, 44 min drive

Common questions

What is Monreale known for?
Above the Conca d'Oro at 310 meters, the cathedral William II built between 1174 and 1182 holds 6,340 square meters of Norman mosaics.
Where is Monreale?
Monreale is a comune in the province of Palermo, in Sicily.
What is the nearest airport to Monreale?
Catania (CTA), about 3h 14m by car.
Can you get to Monreale without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Palermo to Monreale?
About 44 minutes by car.
When is the best time to visit Monreale?
Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. July is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Monreale?
Yes. Grisi' in Festa and Rievocazione storica Monreale - Nel segno di Guglielmo. August is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Monreale?
Modica, Ragusa and Corleone.
How many people live in Monreale?
38,698 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 310 m
  • Population: 38,698
  • Surface area: 530.18 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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