L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES tion. The most striking image is found in the apse and depicts Christ Pantocrator. Like the similar depictions in the Palatine Chapel at the Nor- man Palace in Palermo and the Cathedral of Cefalù, it dominates the entire scene. The gaze of Christ seems to follow the viewer, no matter where they stand, creating an awe-inspiring presence that leaves a lasting impression. To the right of the central nave are the sarcophagi of King William I "the Bad," crafted in porphyry, and King William II, "the Good," made of marble. On the left side, 19th-century tombs hold the r e m a i n s o f M a r g a r e t o f Navarre and Sicily, wife of William I, along with their sons Roger and Henry. The Chapel of Saint Louis of the French, built in 1270, once housed the remains of King Louis IX of France, who d i e d i n T u n i s d u r i n g t h e E i g h t h C r u s a d e . H i s s o n , Philip III, transferred the body to the Cathedral of Saint Denis, but an urn containing his heart and entrails was left in the reliquary altar where he had initially been buried. As a gesture of gratitude, Philip III gifted the cathedral a reliquary containing the "Sacred Thorn," a relic from the Crown of Thorns, which is now kept at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The cathedral's treasures h a v e g r o w n o v e r t i m e . B e t w e e n 1 9 5 7 a n d 1 9 6 7 , under the leadership of Arch- bishop Francesco Carpino, an extraordinary pipe organ was installed and inaugurated with a concert on April 24, 1967. It is the second-largest organ in Sicily, after the one in Messina, featuring 121 reg- isters, over 7,000 pipes, and the largest movable console i n t h e w o r l d . O n J u n e 9 , 2015, a lightning strike dam- aged the turret above the cathedral's apse, dislodging some of the tiles depicting C h r i s t P a n t o c r a t o r , a n d simultaneously caused the organ to shut down. Howev- er, it was repaired and began playing again on December 13, 2016. On July 3, 2015, the Cathe- t o w e a t h e r e v e n t s . F o r instance, in 1807, one of the t w o t o w e r s f l a n k i n g t h e entrance portico—built in the 18th century—was struck by lightning and left partially destroyed. The entrance doors are m a d e o f b r o n z e i n t h e Romanesque style, with the main door composed of forty panels depicting scenes from the Bible. Inside, the cathe- dral follows a Latin cross lay- out, with its naves divided by columns topped with pointed arches. However, what truly astonishes visitors is the bril- liance and shimmer of 7,584 square meters of mosaics gleaming with gold. These mosaics, crafted as early as the time of William II and perhaps completed during the reign of his son Tancredi in 1194, adorn the interior of the cathedral. The Byzan- tine mosaics narrate the history of Christianity, from its beginnings to the life of Jesus and the events follow- ing his death and resurrec- dral and Cloister of Monreale were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites as p a r t o f t h e A r a b - N o r m a n itinerary of Palermo, Cefalù, and Monreale. On Friday, December 20, 2024, in the presence of dig- nitaries, public figures, and a s s o c i a t i o n s , M o n r e a l e ' s mayor, Alberto Arcidiacono, and acclaimed actress Pamela Villoresi—former director of Palermo's Teatro Biondo— officially inaugurated the modern face of Monreale: the n e w m u l t i m e d i a m u s e u m T h e W o r k s h o p o f William: Art, Faith, and Royalty in the Diocese of Monreale. Spanning 1,500 square meters, the museum presents the history of the A r c h d i o c e s e o f M o n r e a l e within the broader context of the Norman kings' ecclesias- tical policies in western Sicily. A m o n g t h e l a r g e s t i n Europe and the first of its kind in southern Italy, the museum offers a permanent, multimedia exhibition that p r o v i d e s a m u l t i - s e n s o r y experience. Its state-of-the- art design uses interactive s c r e e n s t o g u i d e v i s i t o r s through the history of the Norman center. Located in t h e f o r m e r B e n e d i c t i n e A b b e y o f S a n t a M a r i a L a Nuova within the William II Monumental Complex, the museum features galleries and rooms that showcase extraordinary landscapes and architectural wonders. The exhibition is divided into three thematic areas. The first, along the central gallery, explores the Duomo and its mosaics. The second, adjacent to the Cloister of the Benedictine Abbey, examines Norman-era architecture and cultural syncretism. The third g a l l e r y , o v e r l o o k i n g t h e g r a n d c o u r t y a r d o f t h e monastic complex, delves into the themes of the Dio- cese, the Kingdom, and Roy- alty. But the story of Monreale does not end here. As this brief account inevitably falls short, we leave you with a popular saying: "Those who visit Palermo and not Mon- reale leave as donkeys and return as pigs." the Pope through the arch- bishop or by the sovereign. Some historians agree that the archbishopric of Mon- reale, as the capital of its eponymous state, effectively functioned as a state within a s t a t e , e n j o y i n g e x t e n s i v e privileges. However, it coex- isted with a "secular" admin- istration, whose representa- tives, drawn from the ranks of the local gentry, held the principal civic offices. The names of their families were recorded in lists dating back to the 1500s. Today, life in Monreale seems to revolve around the c a t h e d r a l , a n d g i v e n i t s imposing presence and sym- bolism of grandeur, sanctity, and artistry, this is hardly surprising. Built between 1172 and 1176 at the behest of William II, the cathedral blends various architectural styles, combining influences from Northern European architecture with Arab art. Over the centuries, some modifications were made due O n e n i g h t i n 1 1 7 1 , K i n g W i l l i a m I I , known as "the G o o d , " w a s resting from the burdens of war and governance, as was customary for Norman kings, in an ancient Arab village called Balharā. In a dream, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and revealed the location of an immense treasure—a w a r b o o t y h i d d e n b y h i s father, William I, known as "the Bad." She instructed him to use it to build a temple in h e r h o n o r . U n d e r a l a r g e carob tree, he found the trea- sure and immediately began t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f w h a t would become the magnifi- cent Cathedral of Mon- reale. A t t h e f o o t o f M o u n t Caputo, 300 meters above sea level and near Palermo, a for- t i f i e d c i t a d e l a r o s e . T h i s included the cathedral, the archbishop's palace, and the cloister. King William II relo- cated Abbot Theobald and a h u n d r e d m o n k s f r o m t h e Abbey of Cava in Salerno to Monreale and, on March 20, 1176, appointed Theobald as "Lord of the City" with the responsibility of officiating in the new church. On February 5, 1182, at William's request, Pope Lucius III elevated the C h u r c h o f S a n t a M a r i a l a Nuova—now the Cathedral of Monreale—to the status of a "metropolitan cathedral," granting it economic advan- tages and prestigious privi- leges. These benefits extended to its successive archbishops, who oversaw 72 fiefs from 1176 until the end of the 17th century. The first archbishop was William, a monk from the Benedictine order. In addition to his ecclesias- tical duties, the archbishop was granted judicial authori- ty, a unique power in the legal system of the kingdom. The judges of Monreale represent- ed the highest judiciary in the r e a l m . T h e s e p r i v i l e g e s remained in place until feu- dalism was abolished in 1812. For as long as the criminal court existed, it was presided over by an ecclesiastic along- s i d e a n o t a r y , a c r i m i n a l j u d g e , a n d l o w e r - r a n k i n g priests. This court issued rul- ings in both civil and criminal cases, deciding penalties that ranged from fines to exile or imprisonment, with the possi- bility of "grace" granted by TERESA DI FRESCO Monreale: a modern reality with a keen eye on the past A detail of the Norman cathedral of Monreale (Photo: Vvoevale/Dreamstime)

• Cover