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Most of the royal palace itself—built by the Saracens are a defensive castle, then enlarged into a royal palace by the Normans in 1130 (Roger II, William I, William II, and Frederick II all held court here) and further adapted by the Aragonese in the 16th century—has been closed to visitors for years.
If this policy changes—as they insist it soon will—the royal apartments are little to write home about, but don't miss the mosaicked Sala di Re Ruggiero.
Even with the palace part closed, the tour buses still line up at the back, bringing visitors to file into Palermo's most stunning sight, the Byzantine Greek mosaics of the ★★★ Cappella Palatina, built by Roger II in the 1130s and 40s. It takes the form of a tiny basilica, every inch swathed in rich religious mosaics that also symbolically glorify the enlightened reign of Roger II.
The craftsmanship is exquisite, using not only gold-backed tessere but also silver mosaic tiles to cause the softly lit surfaces to sparkle and gleam in a kaleidoscope of saints and Old Testament characters.
The mosaics on the nave walls date a bit later (1150s) and exhibit a more Roman styling, while the mosaicked Christ with Sts. Peter and Paul above the Norman throne are 15th-century.
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Palermo tourist office
Piazza Castelnuovo 34
tel. +39-091-605-8351
www.turismopalermo.it
www.provincia.palermo.it/turismo
Also useful:
www.comune.palermo.it
www.palermotourism.com
Buses: www.amat.pa.it
Trains: www.trenitalia.com
Airport: www.gesap.it
Port: www.portpalermo.it
This article was written by Reid Bramblett and was last updated in April 2015.
All information was accurate at the time.
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