My first exposure to Byzantine churches was the Cathedral at Monreale, just outside Palermo, Sicily. The cathedral at Monreale is the crown jewel of Byzantine churches in Sicily. It is one of the most gorgeous. I remember arriving in Palermo on the train and after dropping our luggage at the hotel, bought some bus tickets at a tobacco stall outside the hotel, caught the bus to Monreale which is about 45 minutes away. I remember a crowded bus, no place to sit, I was standing and this Sicilian was sticking his finger into my butt crack. I was 'molested' on a Sicilian bus! Monreale was so beautiful, a church filled top to bottom with some of the most beautiful and intricate mosiacs. It was so breathtaking. We were to see a lot more such churches all over Sicily, in Palermo at the palatine chapel of the Norman castle, in Cefalu and also in this church in Palermo. I think it's time to return to Sicily. I just got to find the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment