Monreale Cathedral
| Monreale | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Monreale | |
Interior of Monreale Cathedral.
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 Monreale
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| Coordinates: 38°04′54″N 13°17′20″E / 38.08167°N 13.28889°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Palermo (PA) |
| Frazioni | Aquino, Borgo Fraccia, Borgo Schirò, Cicio di Monreale, Giacalone, Grisì, Monte Caputo, Pietra, Pioppo, Poggio San Francesco, San Martino delle Scale, Sirignano, Sparacia, Tagliavia, Villaciambra |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Filippo Di Matteo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 529 km2 (204 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 310 m (1,020 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2010) | |
| • Total | 38,204 |
| • Density | 72/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Monrealesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 90046 |
| Dialing code | 091 |
| Patron saint | St. Castrensis |
| Saint day | 2 February |
| Website | Official website |
Monreale (Sicilian: Murriali) is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, Italy. It is located on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the 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, which has a population of approximately 30,000, is about 15 kilometres (9 miles) inland (south) of Palermo, the capital of the island.
Monreale forms its own archdiocese and is renowned for its Norman-Byzantine cathedral. This has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of a group of nine inscribed as Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale.
After the occupation of Palermo by the Arabs (the Emirate of Sicily), the Bishop of Palermo was forced to move his seat outside the capital. The role of cathedral was assigned to a modest little church, Aghia Kiriaki, in a nearby village later known as Monreale. After the Norman conquest in 1072, Christians took back the former Palermo cathedral. Probably the village's role as temporary ecclesiastical centre played a part in King William II's decision to build a cathedral here.
Monreale was long a small village. When the Norman Kings of Sicily chose the area as their hunting resort, more people and commerce came to the area as they built a palace (probably identifiable with the modern town hall).
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Wikipedia