Palermo - Norman Palace

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and those in the nave under Roger's successor William I (1154-66). Under Louis of Aragon c. 1350 the mosaics were renewed, and that on the west wall portraying Christ between Peter and Paul was added. Further restorations were made in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1800 King Ferdinand of Naples allowed a mosaic to be destroyed to make way for a new doorway. Later additions resulted in the palace chapel no longer standing alone but being built up to on three sides.

In 1936 a start was made on rendering the building safe. In spite of all the changes through the centuries, however, the interior has not lost the overall harmony resulting from the amalgamation of the three differing components which go to make up the building, the Latin basilica, the Byzantine dome and mosaic decoration, and the Arabic stalactite ceiling.

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older ones; they portray the Story of David, together with a crowned man (the symbol of Palermo) with decorative plaques showing the king and queen of the time, Ferdinand of Bourbon and Maria Carolina.

Anyone entering the church will immediately feel fascinated by the mystical semi-darkness in this triple-aisled columned basilica, pierced only by a shimmer of gold. The wooden ceiling of the central aisle is decorated in the Arabic style, with stalactites painted with numerous small scenes.

At the western end, to the left of the entrance, will be found one example of the reverence with which the Normans regarded royalty, the raised marble platform for the royal throne.

From here there is a view through the slender nave to another example: the raised chancel with its three apses and the cupola spanning the center. In front of this, to the right, stands a paschal candelabra 4.50m/15ft tall; its rich relief decorations portray motifs of flowers and figures, the center of the five showing Christ with King Roger II kneeling before him. Behind stands the pulpit supported by carved pillars with Corinthian capitals and decorated with inlay work. The lecterns exhibit carvings of a lion and a snake, the symbols of the Apostles Mark and John.

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(central aisle) and New Testament (side aisles). The story begins on the south wall of the central aisle and continues in a clockwise direction, thus: South wall, top row (from left to right): The Story of the Creation up to the Birth of Eve, North wall, top row: The Fall of Man to the Building of Noah's Ark, South wall, bottom row: The Dove and the Arc to the story of Abraham and the Three Angels, North side, bottom row: Lot and the People of Sodom to Jacob's Struggle with the Angel.

In the right side-aisle are scenes showing Paul and Peter, and in the left aisle similar ones of Peter.

While the mosaics in the nave tell a continuing story, those in the dome of the sanctuary center on Christ Himself; he is shown as the focal point of the religious world, the Pantokrator (Almighty Ruler), surrounded by a Greek inscription describing Heaven as His footstool. Below Him can be seen angels and archangels, prophets and kings of old Israel, with the Apostles in the four corner niches - all in accordance with Byzantine custom and that of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Deviating from this custom, Christ appears a second time in the hemispherical dome of the main apse, with the Virgin Mary below. These mosaics are 18th century - the difference in style and quality between these and those of the 12th century is striking indeed!

Also in the chancel will be found New Testament themes such as the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the Flight to Egypt, the Baptism, the Transfiguration, the Ascension and Pentecost (the Crucifixion is missing).

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as well as the Sala di Ercole (Hall of Hercules), where the Sicilian Parliament now sits, just as the Barons' Parliament did in the Middle Ages.

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Cortile Maqueda after him. The flight of steps leads to the very core of the palace, the Cappella Palatina on the first floor and the Appartamenti Reali (Royal Apartments) on the second.

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The treasury was once housed on its ground floor. It is the last remaining of the original four towers; inside is a typical square hall 15m/50ft high. In 1791 the viceroy Caramanico allowed Giuseppe Piazzi to build an observatory on the top floor, and its dome is to be seen above the Norman building.