Thankful that I did not miss this - we had been inside the
Monreale Duomo which is number one in beauty and dedication to the life of Christ in my eyes. But the Benedictine Cloisters are along the outside east wall and a separate entrance with a small fee. And this was our first visit to them, hopefully we will be back another time.
 |
| West side |
 |
| Fisher of man |
 |
| The feathery tops of carved marble |
The Cloisters/columns surround a small, well groomed garden. Each side has 26 arches resting on columns. The caps of the columns depict scenes from the Old and New Testament.
 |
| East side |
 |
| With the duomo in the background |
 |
| Those columns! |
|
 |
| We visited with Carolina |
Some of the columns are delicately carved marble.
 |
| Fountain in the southeast corner |
 |
| Peacock or dodo bird? |
 |
| Unicorn!!!! |
 |
| The monkey is one of the creations of God |
Other columns have inlaid gold mosaic and colorful tile designs.
 |
| Gold and red mosaic tiles |
 |
| The carvings are from the top to the bottom |
 |
| Capstone |
The Benedictine Cloisters were completed in 1200 AD. The duomo was completed to teach others about Christ and I believe the cloisters has the same purpose.
 |
| Madonna |
I also believe the purpose is to give gratitude to God for the gifts and talents He gives us. As we use our talents to bless others, it is a way of showing our thanks and love for our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment