The Diocesan Museum of Monreale was inaugurated on 13 April 2011 in the Archbishop's Palace, right by the cathedral. It is laid out on three levels, after works by the Palermo heritage office; the arrangement of the works was curated by the scholar Maria Concetta Di Natale. It gathers paintings, sculptures, silver and textiles from the cathedral and the churches of the archdiocese.
What to see
On the ground floor the San Placido room, which opens onto the Benedictine cloister, holds the large altarpieces: the Madonna dell'Itria by Giuseppe d'Alvino, of 1590, the Madonna dello stellario by Orazio Ferraro, of 1612, and the Guardian Angel painted in 1640 by Pietro Novelli. There is also the tapestry of the Virgin appearing in a dream to King William II.
On the first floor, with a view over the Conca d'Oro, the Norman room displays the oldest works and the Renaissance room a Virgin and Child attributed to Andrea della Robbia and a Penitent Saint Jerome attributed to Antonello Gagini. Then come the ethno-anthropological room, with wax figures, relics and holy cards, the collection donated by Salvatore Renda Pitti and the small room of the sedan chair. On the second floor the Bishops' room gathers vestments, illuminated manuscripts, silver, goldsmiths' work and ivories commissioned by the archbishops.
Visiting
The route also includes the Roano chapel, or chapel of the Holy Crucifix, which is inside the cathedral. Opening times and tickets should be checked on the museum's website.
Our editors' tip
The museum is also worth it for what you see from the windows: from the Norman room the mosaics of the cathedral, from the Renaissance room the outer apses of the cathedral at close range, from the Bishops' room the cloister from above.
