Palazzo dei Normanni and its Palatine Chapel offer a unique window into the past with its 800 years of history, allowing an overview of one of the most atypical, but stunning cultural mixes that exist.
AN UNFORGETTABLE TOUR IN A SYMBOLIC LANDMARK OF PALERMO
Get ready to discover priceless treasures with an expert and authorized guide
Sure enough, Palermo is the perfect example of how the history of different cultures and populations enriches the artistic patrimony of a city. The Islamic and Norman customs have characterized the most ancient Royal Residence in Europe singularly and magnificently, giving birth to a place where contrasting artistic worlds live together. During this guided tour in Palermo you’ll get the chance to learn not only about the historical and cultural aspects of this magical place, but also about the secrets behind the dynasties who had their thrones and lived there for centuries. On this visit you’ll never walk alone, rather, you'll be carried by one of our expert and local guides.
ENTER IN THE OLDEST ROYAL PALACE OF EUROPE
With this Palermo guided tour you’ll discover Palazzo dei Normanni which is now the location of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, the Sicilian Parliament, but the value of this place can’t be considered only on its actual role. As the oldest Royal Residence, it has an immeasurable value and there’s no wonder why: it has welcomed different ethnicities, it has been the theater of countless policies, and it has seen countless dynasties follow one anothe. That’s what made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and that’s why you can’t miss it! As a first step you’ll enter the ground floor where you’ll be guided into the ancient origins of the place, where the Greek-Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Norman world meet.
ADMIRE ONE OF THE MASTERPIECES OF THE SICILIAN CAPITAL
Go upstairs and get amazed by the artistic treasures that the Palatine Chapel shows you. Guy de Maupassant, a French lyricist who lived in the XIX century, defined the Chapel as the most beautiful religious jewel dreamt of by human thought, surely for good reasons. The beauty of this place is unleashed everywhere, starting from the mosaics representing Bible scenes, going through the wooden ceilings carved by highly talented masters of the Fatimid and Iranian schools, and arriving at the majestic throne. And that’s not it, because being erected approximately one century after the rest of the palace, the Chapel gives an insight into the arts, science, and philosophy of the dominant Western and Middle Eastern cultures at that time.
If this guided tour of Palermo has enchanted you, there’s no doubt you’ll surely want to continue wandering around the city, spending the rest of the day discovering the historic center on your own.
