Publisher's description:
The Cathedral of Monreale is one of the most outstanding monuments of medieval Europe, an icon of the power of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily.
Its conception is a legend, ordered by the Virgin Mary appearing in a dream to William II, and the "Golden Temple" was very quickly built, surpassing in splendour any previous religious construction.
There are countless stylistic components that characterize the architectural complex, which fuses Greek, Roman, Arab, Venetian, Pisan, Apulian and Provençal influences. The profusion of mosaics, the gleaming gold tesserae and the grandeur of the building have always fascinated and amazed visitors who admired its magnificence, described by Guy de Maupassant as "the most complete, rich and impressive to be seen for the mosaic decoration on a golden ground".