Holiday in Sicily        27th June - 4th July 2013

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Monday 1st July - Visit to Monreale and to Segesta.

Monreale is a hillside town 13km southeast of Palermo and contains some of the best Norman architecture and art in Sicily. William II started the cathedral in 1174 and intended to outdo Bishop Walter who was building Palermo Cathedral and succeeded.  The Byzantine wall and ceiling mosaics are magnificent. 

Chancel end and ceiling mosaics; nave wall mosaics; ditto; ditto; Chancel mosaics.

Tombs of William I and William II.

Nave wall mosaics;  Apse external wall decorations.

Segesta is an ancient Greek and earlier hilltop settlement soutwest of Palermo. Much of the settlement has still to be excavated but a theatre and temple can be seen along with ruins of a church, agora and other buildings.

Views of the theatre. The final view shows a close-up of a typical seat with a curved back support.

Ruins near the Agora; temple from near the theatre; temple close-up.            [Top of Page]