After dropping Claire, Emerson, and Colby at the Palermo airport this morning, we went to the Monreale Duomo, just south of Palermo. WOW! Built after the Norman conquest of Sicily, between 1174 and 1185 by Byzantine craftsmen, over 68,200 square feet of interior is covered in mosaics depicting Old and New Testament stories. We were just blown away. It was beautiful! We also enjoyed seeing the cloister of the adjacent abbey, built at the same time. It is surrounded by 216 double columns with each one carved in a different pattern. It is easy to see how these places are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are incredible!
