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The cathedral is one of the greatest still-standing examples of Norman architecture; here’s a statue of King William II of Sicily offering a model of the cathedral to the Virgin Mary. The sand color of the statue and the texture of the stone will forever make me think about this as a sand sculpture (just one more example of how my brain works). The building was constructed between 1172 and 1185, which is an astonishingly fast pace for a building of its size and detailing. (Coincidently, that is faster than the time it took the City of Lubock and the Texas Department of Transportation to reconstruct approximately two miles of 19th Street.)
Duomo di Monreale
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
necklace man
A tiny room off the nave and sanctuary had beautiful marble sculptures that held great meaning. Some people found great religious significance in them; I found photographic solace there.
Capella del Crocifisso – Duomo di Monreale
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
the way the light hits
One year ago, I was in Sicily on a photography trip. I was with my friends and we had the best time enjoying the culture, the education, the food, the photography, and our time together. I still think about it almost every day. (Because I am comfortable living a year in the past, I guess?)
The late afternoon light at the cloisters beside the cathedral in Monreale was beautiful, bringing out the reds and oranges in the old stone. Look at the tops of those columns: every one is different.
Also, speaking of reds and oranges, I am at least 100% certain that when we returned to Palermo later that night, we had a few Aperol spritzes – each one served with a slice of an in-season Sicilian orange.
Chiostro dei Benedettini
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
most of a chair
This? Oh, just part of a chair.
Part of a chair that’s suspended from a window.
Part of a chair that’s suspended from a window in the usual fashion.
Hardly even worth mentioning, really.
Monreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
two saints and jesus
Yesterday I posted a photo of ancient Roman tiles on the floor of a villa.
Here’s more tile, this time Byzantine glass mosaics dating from the late 12th and the mid-13th centuries. These mosaics (6,500 m2; 70,000 square feet) cover the interior of the Duomo de Monreale, which is considered to be one of the finest examples of existing Norman architecture. Work on the cathedral was begun in 1174.
Fact check: According to a legend, William II of Sicily fell asleep under a carob tree while hunting in the woods near Monreale. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in dream, suggesting that he should build a church there. After removing the tree, a treasure was found in its roots, whose golden coins were used to finance the construction. It is more likely that the church was part of a plan of large construction in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had ordered the large Cathedral of Palermo.
Duomo de Monreale
Montreale, Sicily
photographed 1.30.2025
One Day | One Image 