Just steps away from Palermo, there is the medieval village of Monreale located on the slopes of Mount Caputo, famous worldwide for its majestic Cathedral in Arab-Norman style and the cloister of the adjoining monastery.
Monreale is a delightful town to discover, even when the splendid Cathedral that has dimmed other extraordinary attractions with its sparkling gold. There is a sort of microcosm made up of flowered balconies, ancient noble palaces, picturesque arches, and marble fountains. You can smell the fragrance of fresh bread and biscuits all around the narrow streets where artisan shops emerge, passed on from generation to generation, never neglecting the connection this land has with the past.
The historic shops that we will visit on this private guided tour hold small treasures. The skilled hands of the artisans welcome any passerby and capture them in the enchantment of a timeless dimension.
Beyond the apses of the Cathedral, there is an intricate labyrinth of alleys that make up the historic medieval quarter of the "Ciambra”. There, we will find a family-run workshop opened over forty years ago, where the ancient art of mosaic is still alive. The so-called "work of the Muses" is the result of great technical skill and creativity in the meticulous juxtaposition of small stones, marble, or colored glass tiles to compose a design or image.
Then, we will visit the studio of an illustrator who has devoted himself to the art of ceramics for over 20 years. In his workshop, we can admire numerous unique pieces, entirely handmade, that stand out from the traditional motifs of Sicilian terracotta but draw inspiration from the mosaics and inlay work of the apses of the nearby impressive Cathedral.
