the Zisa
the Zisa over the centuries

The senses tell the Zisa over the centuries

hearing
An event to remember

The collapse of the Zisa caused such a loud roar that it was heard throughout most of the city. It’s almost as if we can still hear the cries of dismay of the local inhabitants, who were shaken by this serious event.

sight
Changing visions

The image of the Zisa, which had been intact for centuries and reproduced in drawings and prints, changed appearance several times in the last thirty years of the 20th century, first as a building still intact but in a state of neglect, then collapsed, then encased in scaffolding and finally restored in all its austere, compact form.

Saint Peter’s Chapel in the Royal Palace

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

Decorations

The senses tell the historical context

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

The Palace of Kings

The mosaic cycle, an ascending path towards the light

The senses tell the historical context

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

The mosaics of the naves

The Cassaro

The senses tell the external architecture and the original layout

The interior of the church

The birth of the Norman kingdom

The Genoard Park, the garden of pleasures and wonders

The mosaics of the transept and the apses

Restorations

The senses tell baroque decoration

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

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

the Baroque exterior

The rediscovered palace

An architectural crescendo

The opus sectile floor of the Palatine Chapel

the Baroque interior

The senses tell the historical context

The architectural appearance and transformations over time

From earthquake to collapse

The senses tell the flooring

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

The Admiral’s dedication

From oblivion to the recovery of memory

The senses tell the mosaic cycle

The senses tell the architecture and decorations

Intertwining of knowledge in Norman Palermo

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

The return of water

The senses tell restorations

The senses tell the Zisa over the centuries

The decorations on the bell tower

The flooring: shapes, motifs and iconography

The senses tell the architecture

The senses tell the interior

The senses tell the ceiling

A building constructed in a short space of time

The Royal Throne

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

The architectural space

Shapes and colours of the wooden ceiling