Magnificently adorned, and with a splendid view of the Conca d'Oro, the cathedral at Monreale is one of the great sights of Norman Sicily.
Founded in 1172 by the Norman King William II, it was given to a monastery of the Benedictine Order.
The interior of the cathedral glitters with mosaics carried out by Sicilian and Byzantine artists-the inspiration of a king who wanted to rival the power of the Archbishop of Palermo.
Like Cefalù, and later Palermo, it was to serve as a royal sepulchre.