UMBRIA, TUSCANY AND BEYOND - AN ITALIAN TRAVELOGUE

THE CATHEDRAL OF MONREALE - SICILY Just outside Palermo sitting on a hill above the Conca d'Oro (Golden Valley) is a magnificent cathedral founded by King William II of Sicily in 1174. It's part of Sicily's Arab-Norman heritage and I had the privelege to visit it a few days ago. Our coach wound its way up to the car park on the side of the hill and then it was a steep climb up a series of steps to a street in the village which led us up to cathedral square.

The front of the cathedral is impressive with a plainish elevation dominated by a pair of assymmetrical towers and a porch which is an 18th century addition. The large bronze doors were not open however, so we had to gain admittance through a side entrance which led directly to the corinthian columned nave. The nave and sanctuary is vast and what is immediately striking is the cycle of brilliant mosaics which cover over 70,000 square feet of surface. Perhaps not as striking as the ceiling of the Capella Palatina in Palermo - the one here still shows arabic influences. It was evidently restored after a fire in 1811.

In the ceiling apse of the sanctuary is another huge mosaic figure of a pantocrator Christ this time embracing his followers with outstretched embracing arms and hands.Above the thrones in the two side apses are a depiction of William II being crowned by Christ himself (how's that for a bit of aggrandisement) and in the other a scene showing Jesus presenting the cathedral to the Madonna. There are stories from the old and new testaments and many saints represented in the mosaics of the nave, but I couldn't find the one of St Thomas a Becket mentioned in my guide book, who had only been made a saint the year before the cathedral was founded.

To the side of the cathedral are the buildings of the connecting monastery with a wonderful cloister articulated by a series of arabic inspired columns - each with differently carved capitals - in the middle a 12th century fountain. Whilst this cathedral interior doesn't have the intimacy of the Capella Palatina - it's magnificence is another tribute to this wonderful island's Arab-Norman heritage and it should be on the list of anyone visiting Sicily.