Monreale Cathedral, built in the late 12th Century by William II in honor of the Virgin Mary, is a magnificent example of the UNESCO recognized Arab-Norman architectural style. The Norman king left us a wonder with approximately 63,000 square feet of mosaic tiles.
I like to say it is the Las Vegas or Times Square of the 12th century. Imagine you are a shepherd or farmer and you enter this fortress of a church set in the mountains in a medieval town that was culturally Arab and somewhat remote during that time. No doubt, you would have been awed by the golden, magic pictureshow! You would not ever have seen anything like it. I venture to guess similar to how you might feel today, if/when you are on The Strip or are on Broadway and 45th Street. It’s a sight that takes your breath away.
If the objective was to convert someone to the Latin-Christian church, I’d say, Monreale Cathedral in Sicily is a vehicle to do just that.
