Monreale Cathedral in Sicily is renowned for its 12th-century Byzantine mosaics covering nearly every interior surface.
The cathedral was commissioned by the Norman king William II of Sicily and built near Palermo between 1174 and 1189. Its mosaics form one of the largest surviving unified mosaic programmes of the medieval world, with a monumental Christ Pantocrator dominating the apse.
The decoration reflects the multicultural character of Norman Sicily. Byzantine artistic traditions, Latin Christian theology, and Islamic-influenced architectural details coexist in the building, especially in its geometric ornament and cloister.
Monreale Cathedral is often compared with the Palatine Chapel in Palermo and Cefalù Cathedral, which also preserve important Norman-era mosaics. Those buildings are related historically, but Monreale is especially famous for the extraordinary extent of its interior mosaic coverage.