Private Tour from Palermo: Monreale, Bagheria (Villa Palagonia) & Cefalù

Highlights

• Monreale & its Cathedral
• Bagheria & Villa Palagonia
• Cefalù

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Stop 1

   2h

   You will be dropped off by your driver in Piazza Guglielmo II. Here you can visit the beautiful cathedral of Monreale. It has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is considered one of the most important medieval churches in the world.  The mosaics of the cathedral are something simply unique and perfect. An area of over 6,000 square meters and over 130 Byzantine mosaics that adorn the church. You can also access, for a fee, to different areas of the cathedral, such as the terraces. Adjacent to the cathedral is the monastery of San Benedetto. The cloister of the monastery has a Romanesque square plan, characterized by more than 90 columns decorated with mosaics and Romanesque capitals. At the center of the cloister there is a garden, with a palm-shaped fountain from whose leaves the water flows. Also near the cathedral is the interesting Diocesan Museum, where collections of paintings, sacred vestments and liturgical objects are housed, as well as a beautiful cycle of 1700 frescoes. From Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II you can see the Duomo, while you can calmly admire the garden with the famous marble fountain called Fontana del Tritone. Another place that is impossible to resist is the Belvedere, located a few steps from the Palazzo del Municipio. From the Belvedere you can look out over the Conca d'Oro and let yourself be conquered by the Palermo hills.

2. 2

   Villa Palagonia

   1h

   Villa Palagonia, known as the Villa of the Monsters of Bagheria, is one of the most important Sicilian monuments. The entrance avenue, topped by a triumphal arch, is populated by a host of disturbing-looking statues of monsters and animals, which from the two hundred that were originally today have remained sixty-two and which currently constitute one of the main attractions of the villa. Legends said that statues had an evil influence on men. This did not diminish the notoriety and charm exerted by the villa on writers (such as Goethe) and on directors and artists. Like Salvador Dalì, who declared that he wanted to buy Villa Palagonia for the holiday periods in Sicily. Or Renato Guttuso, born in Bagheria, who called it "the place of my games as a child" and created three works dedicated to the villa. Villa Palagonia also served as the location for some scenes of the film Il Mafioso by Alberto Lattuada with Alberto Sordi (1962), The wedding director by Marco Bellocchio with Sergio Castellitto (2006) and Baarìa by Giuseppe Tornatore (2009). The entrance ticket to the villa costs 5 euros and the visiting hours from Monday to Sunday are from 9 to 13 and from 16 to 19.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   2h

   Cefalù is an ancient medieval village, among the most beautiful and best preserved in Italy. Don't miss a walk through the small narrow streets, the ancient houses, the shops, the restaurants and the ice cream parlors. Halfway along Via Vittorio Emanuele is the medieval washhouse, which is accessed via a staircase made of lava stone. The waters that flow in the washhouse are those of the Cefalino river. Continuing beyond the washhouse, you will arrive at Porta Pescara, an opening from which you can see the sea. Shortly after Porta della Pescara on your left you will find Piazza Marina with the pier of the old port. From the old port you can see the most fascinating part of Cefalù: the houses with balconies directly on the sea. After a few meters you will find yourself in the town hall square in front of which you can see the Cathedral of Cefalù. In addition to the medieval village, Cefalù can boast one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily with white sand and crystal clear waters.

Before you go

Location