A VISIT TO MONREALE IS A MUST

By Brian Wilson
UK Correspondent
Special to Cruising Squared





If your cruise ship calls into Palermo (the capital of Sicily) you may think of visiting the town – but to our mind there is only one thing to do – visit Monreale.

Look up into the hill side that surrounds Palermo for a small town set in a panoramic position on the slope of Monte Caputo overlooking the fertile valley of La Conca D’Ora that is famed for its citrus fruit trees – that’s Monreale.

Just take a taxi, or a local bus (if you are feeling “brave”), to this beautiful town that boasts one the gems of Sicily – the Cathedral or Duomo. The town is set on a promontory with a defensive setting and is a microcosm of Sicilian history.

As you journey up to Monreale think of the Bishop of Palermo who, in 831, had been “banished” when the Arabs took control of Palermo. Not wanting to leave Palermo, the bishop and his community found refuge in Monreale’s defensible position – and it overlooked their old home.