PalermoByHeart

PalermoByHeart

Monreale

Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0

A town above Palermo, famous for the Cathedral begun in 1174 by King William II and the adjoining Benedictine cloister. The Cathedral is part of the UNESCO site 'Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalu and Monreale', inscribed in 2015.

Fits a 3-day trip

What to see

  • Cattedrale di Monreale: Arab-Norman architecture with pointed arches and a three-aisled interior covered in gold-ground mosaics.
  • Mosaici e Cristo Pantocratore: Over 6,000 square metres of mosaics; the large Christ in the central apse is the best-known image.
  • Chiostro benedettino: A square Romanesque cloister (47 m per side) with pointed arches on paired columns and carved capitals; a fountain shaped like a stylised palm trunk.
  • Piazza Guglielmo II: The cathedral square, the focus of a visit (Piazza Guglielmo II, 1).

Getting there

Reachable by public transport

According to the Monreale municipality (page updated 16/02/2024) line 389 starts from Piazza Indipendenza: take line 109 from Palermo Centrale or 108 from Politeama to Piazza Indipendenza, then line 389 to the terminus 'Albergo dei Poveri'; alternatively an AST coach from Piazza Indipendenza. AMAT confirms the line 389 extension to Monreale from 18 June 2026 to 15 June 2027.

By car

From Palermo take Corso Calatafimi to Rocca Monreale, then the panoramic road for about 2 km to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (source: Monreale municipality, from the A29 and ring road).

The municipality lists a paid public car park; rates set by Giunta resolution no. 246 of 15/09/2023.

When to go

The Cathedral can be visited year-round during official hours; on Sundays it opens in the afternoon only. Check hours before visiting.

Tips

  • Visit the whole complex (Cathedral, cloister, terraces), not just the Cathedral.
  • Check current hours on the Duomo website (duomomonreale.com/orari) before leaving.

Where a detail could not be found on an official source we do not include it: always check times and fares on the official site before you go.

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