Intertwining of knowledge in Norman Palermo

Introduction to Route B

The Norman kingdom of Sicily was born with the coronation of Roger II of Hauteville on 25 December 1130 in the city of Palermo. The sovereign, king of Sicily, Apulia, Calabria and Capua, strengthened royal authority, guaranteed a period of peace and prosperity and promoted culture, art and architecture. His reign, undoubtedly inspired, was a blend of different cultures: Arab, Latin, Greek and Byzantine. Immediately after his coronation in 1131, the king ordered the construction of the Cefalù Cathedral, the renovation of the Royal Palace, the former seat of the Emir, and the construction of the Palatine Chapel. The interest in culture, philosophy and science continued during the reigns of his successors, William I and William II. In just a few years, the city of Palermo was enriched with new buildings, such as the fascinating Zisa.
The route winds its way through places symbolic of the intertwining of knowledge in Arab-Norman Palermo: the Palatine Chapel, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as the Martorana, and the Zisa. Each route, divided into several stages, explores the buildings on different levels, from an architectural and artistic standpoint, without neglecting the historical, social, philosophical and cultural context..
The Palatine Chapel is located inside the Royal Palace of Palermo. Commissioned by King Roger II, its construction began in 1130 and was consecrated on 28 April 1140 as the private chapel of the sovereign and the royal family. The church, with a central layout and three aisles, is characterised by the Byzantine-style mosaic cycle, created by Byzantine and Sicilian artists, which covers the entire perimeter of the church walls with stories from the Old and New Testaments, representations of Saints, Angels, Archangels, Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, Patriarchs and the majestic Christ Pantocrator. The mixture of styles and cultures, typical of the Norman period, can also be seen in the ceiling decoration, with typical muqarnas of declared Islamic origin.
The Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as the Martorana, was built at the behest of the admiral of Roger II, George of Antioch, around 1140.
Given the mixture of styles that characterise both the exterior and interior of the church, it is assumed that several craftsmen, both Byzantine and local, worked on it, at least until 1185, when the narthex and bell tower were completed. Inspired by the richness and splendour of the Palatine Chapel, the mosaic cycle of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio is meticulously studied from an aesthetic and symbolic as well as an ideological perspective. The Syrian-style Byzantine Orthodox dome stands in the centre of the church, on a high octagonal drum, with cylindrical corner niches embellished with concentric rings.
The Zisa, from the Arabic word for ‘splendid’, is now located in a residual area of what was once the grandiose Genoard park. The construction of the palace began with William I and was completed by his successor, William II, although the layout is typically Islamic. The Zisa was a royal pavilion, one of the loca solatiorum that adorned the royal park. The magnificent reception room, known as ‘the fountain room’, is an expression of different cultural backgrounds. The hall, built according to the Islamic style iwan, projects outwards, in ideal connection with the surrounding park, in axis with the main entrance in a predominant position compared to the other rooms. The hall’s interior is cruciform in shape with large decorated and vaulted niches with muqarnas. The entire room is decorated with mosaics and marble inlays in opus sectile and columns with capitals of Islamic origin. The fountain is located on the wall opposite the entrance, from which water once flowed over a decorated slab, through a channel and into the large fish pond outside.

The loca solatiorum: dwellings for recreation, well-being and hunting

the roof of Paradise: one of the most representative works of medieval art

A building constructed in a short space of time

The architectural appearance and transformations over time

The senses tell the interior

The Cassaro

The flooring: shapes, motifs and iconography

The mosaics of the transept and the apses

The interior of the church

The Admiral’s dedication

The Norman conquest of Sicily and the birth of a new Latin kingdom

The mosaic cycle, an ascending path towards the light

The senses tell the historical context

The senses tell the historical context

The senses tell restorations

The birth of the Norman kingdom

The opus sectile floor of the Palatine Chapel

The senses tell the external architecture and the original layout

the Baroque exterior

Saint Peter’s Chapel in the Royal Palace

The ancient convent of the Martorana, a history of devotion and tradition

The senses tell the ceiling

From earthquake to collapse

The mosaics of the naves

The senses tell baroque decoration

The senses tell the flooring

From oblivion to the recovery of memory

The senses tell the Zisa over the centuries

Different styles and transformations of “one of the most beautiful monuments in the world”

The beautiful Zisa and its garden: solacium regi among sounds, colours and scents

The decorations on the bell tower

Shapes and colours of the wooden ceiling

The rediscovered palace

The senses tell the architecture

The architectural envelope: the Greek cross layout oriented towards the light

Decorations

The Genoard Park, the garden of pleasures and wonders

The Palace of Kings

An architectural crescendo

Gold and light: the splendour of the mosaics in the Royal Chapel

Restorations

The senses tell the mosaic cycle

the Baroque interior

The return of water

The senses tell the architecture and decorations

Intertwining of knowledge in Norman Palermo

The architectural space

The Royal Throne

The senses tell the historical context