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Palermo Monreale

TRAVEL TOUR PROPOSES:

EXCURSION PALERMO, MONREALE

PALERMO:

Palermo first Greek and Roman city, then Arab capital, later conquered by Normans and Swabians, this is Palermo, a place where Arabian and Norman preciousness coexist, baroque and liberty taste of monuments, palaces and theaters, but also of gardens and the markets.

Palermo is the capital of Sicily. The Cathedral of Palermo, from the twelfth century, houses royal tombs, while the imposing Teatro Massimo neoclassico is famous for opera performances. Also in the center are the Palazzo dei Normanni, a royal palace dating back to the ninth century, and the Palatine Chapel, with Byzantine mosaics. The crowded markets include the central street market Ballarò and la Vucciria, near the port.

Palazzo dei Normanni, originally an Arab building, has always been the seat of power: it contains the Palatine Chapel, Piazza della Pretoria overlooks the seventeenth-century Palazzo del Municipio, with a splendid 16th century fountain made up of 644 marble groups, the Vuccirìa, the most ancient and animated city, in Piazza San Domenico, where stands the homonymous church, among the most interesting Baroque buildings in the city. Another building of the Norman era is the deconsecrated church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, with its oriental red domes, built on the foundations of an ancient mosque, the neoclassical Teatro Massimo, temple of opera, in Piazza Politeama you can see the other city theater, Teatro Politeama Garibaldi, erected in the mid-nineteenth century in Pompeian style, the Botanical Garden, founded in 1789, is famous for specimens from all over the world,
Farther away from the center, however, are the Zisa and Cuba in Corso Calatafimi, oriental buildings, dating back to the reign of William II.

MONREALE:

The city of Monreale was born with the Normans around the eleventh century. Far from the Norman city stood an ancient Arab village Balharā, located on the slopes of Mount Caputo to 310 m above sea level, The most representative building of Monreale is the Cathedral built, always by William II, between 1172 and 1176. The style of this monument known and appreciated all over the world is a composite, because different tastes are linked to the architecture of northern Europe and Arabic art, the Duomo of Monreale deserves great attention because it is really one of the temples most beautiful in the world. After St. Sophia, in Istanbul, it is the largest Byzantine mosaic work in the world. The word "mosaic", in fact, derives from the Greek and means "patient work worthy of the Muses", 6400 square meters that artistically express the history of man's salvation, from his creation to the apotheosis of the universal judgment, details that go admired, like the magnificent portal, the sarcophagus in porphyry of Guglielmo I and the marble one of Guglielmo II il Buono; the thrones that welcomed the king and the bishop; the nineteenth-century tombs, where lie the remains of Margaret of Navarre and Sicily, wife of William I, and sons Ruggero and Enrico.

N.B. The indicated price includes a number from 1 to 3 participants and not per person, each additional person after the 4th see prices on the booking form, are not including meals, tickets where foreseen and any tourist guides. Total duration Ecursion about 8 hours. Bookable directly on booking form by clicking on ESCORN BOOK, with the possibility to choose date, time and number of participants.

Links:

Trapani Airport

Palermo Airport

Catania Airport

Comiso Airport

Trapani City

Palermo City

Catania City