Cappella Palatina

On the middle level of the three-tiered loggia is Palermo’s premier tourist attraction, the Cappella Palatina, designed by Roger II in 1130. Restoration work completed in July 2008 (after a small earthquake in 2002 damaged the structure) has returned the chapel to its original splendour, and the walls once again swarm with figures in glittering, dreamy gold. These exquisite mosaics recount tales of the Old and New Testaments, capturing expression, detail and movement with extraordinary grace. The harmony of the chapel’s decoration is further enhanced by the inlaid marble floors and the wooden muqarnas ceiling, a masterpiece of honeycomb carving in Arabic style that reflects the cultural complexity of Norman Sicily. Outside the chapel, a 12th-century stone tablet affixed to the wall bears inscriptions in Latin, Greek and Arabic, further exemplifying the Normans’ engagement with the island’s many cultures.