Thanks to a staircase carved into the southern tower of the building and through an external walkway, which from above encircles almost the entire church, it is possible to enjoy a surprising and impressive panoramic view of the monastic complex annexed to the ancient cathedral.
From the aerial perspective of the terraces, the marvellous cloister, the heart of community life of the abbey of Benedictine monks and commissioned by King William II, appears in all its magnificence and perfection, with its colonnade punctuated by ogival arches, decorated with geometric elements in lava stone and supported by more than two hundred twin columns with richly sculpted capitals.
The garden set within it, from above, takes on the appearance of a small ” garden of Eden” with symbolic plants of great religious and eschatological value and meaning.
Always from this privileged position, but from the inner side of the walkway, some single-lancet windows allow to visitors to admire some of the cathedral’s precious mosaics, as well as the area of the three apses where the figure of Christ Pantocrator stands out.
Finally, when you reach the top, you can enjoy the stunning scenery of the Conca d’Oro,the wide and fertile valley running towards the sea, on which the city of Palermo stands, once rich in lush citrus groves. The itinerary is completed with the terrace on the north side, which allows a view of the square facing the town hall of Monreale, where once stood an ancient palace commissioned by the Norman court of Altavilla, today the beating heart of the small medieval village.