The Italian Catholic archdiocese of Monreale is in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

. As of 2000 it is no longer a metropolitan see, and is now a suffragan of the archdiocese of Palermo.

History

In 1174 the abbey of Monreale

Monreale

Monreale is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, Italy, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called "La Conca d'oro" , famed for its orange, olive and almond trees, the produce of which is exported in large quantities...

 was declared a prælatura nullius; two years later its abbot was vested with the title and jurisdiction of a bishop. In 1182 Monreale became the metropolitan see for the diocese of Catania and diocese of Siracusa. At first the archbishops were elected by the monks, but were not always Benedictine

Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

s; since 1275 the election has been reserved to itself by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

.

In time the diocese of Girgenti and diocese of Caltagirone also became suffragan to Monreale; but Siracusa, in 1844, and Catania, in 1860, became archiepiscopal sees. The former having become the Metropolitan of Caltagirone, Monreale received the new diocese of Caltanisetta (1860), which see and Girgenti became its only suffragans.

Among the archbishops have been:

• Cardinal Giovanni Proccamazza (1278);
• Cardinal Aussio Despuig de Podio (1458);
• Cardinal Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el mayor
  Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el mayor
  Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el mayor was the first of ten cardinal-nephews elevated by Pope Alexander VI, the cousin of his father, Galcerán de Borja y Moncada....
  
   (September 13, 1483—August 1, 1503)
• Cardinal Pompeo Colonna
  Pompeo Colonna
  Pompeo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal, politician and condottiero.Born in Rome, he fought very early against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini....
  
   (1531);
• Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici
  Ippolito de' Medici
  Ippolito de' Medici was the illegitimate only son of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici.Ippolito was born in Urbino. His father died when he was only five , and he was subsequently raised by his uncle Pope Leo X and his cousin Giulio.When Giulio de' Medici was elected pope as Clement VII, Ippolito...
  
   (1532);
• Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1536);
• Ludovico de Torres (1584);
• Cardinal Francesco Peretti di Montalto
  Francesco Peretti di Montalto
  Francesco Peretti di Montalto was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.Peretti was born to an Italian noble family. By birth he was to be the successor of his father; Prince of Venafro, Venetian patrician, Marquis of San Martino, Count of Celano and Baron of Pescina. But he was also a nephew of Cardinal...
  
   (1650 - 1655);
• Cardinal Vitaliano Visconti (1670);
• Cardinal Francesco del Giudice
  Francesco del Giudice
  Francesco del Giudice was a Roman Catholic cardinal from 1690 to 1725 who also held a variety of other ecclesiastical and governmental offices.-Biography:...
  
   (1704 - 1725);
• Cardinal Traian d'Acquaviva d'Aragona (1739).

From 1775 to 1802 Monreale and Palermo were united.