During the most recent restoration work, further renovations were carried out on the building, with the creation of a ventilated perimeter cavity to prevent rising dampness from the contact soil, which had massively damaged the floor of the Fountain Room
. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of restoring the flow of water coming out of the fountain. The fountain was originally fed by the aqueduct behind it, flowing from the springs of the Gabriel
.The Fountain Room is the luxurious reception room of the Norman rulers, configured in the form of a Persian-style iwan. It projects outwards, in ideal connection with the surrounding park and in axis with the main entrance in a predominant position compared to the other rooms. It takes the form of a large hall opening onto the vestibule through an ogival arch supported by paired marble columns. The hall’s interior is cruciform in shape with large decorated and vaulted niches and muqarnas. The entire room is decorated with mosaics and marble inlays in opus sectile and columns with capitals of Islamic origin. The mosaic ornaments on the western side of the fountain room are an original example of secular mosaics, which do not deal with themes related to ecclesiastical life. Of Byzantine type and with Islamic iconography, the mosaic panels, with a gold background, show two facing archers, in the centre of a tondo, while shooting at birds perched in trees; in the two side tondos, there are pairs of facing peacocks pecking at dates hanging from palm trees. Each tondo is decorated and surrounded by intertwining plant motifs. In the part below the mosaics, water flowed through a marble slab into a gutter at floor level, interspersed with basins and decorations in opus sectile. It then gushed into the grandiose fishpond outside.This hydraulic system was disused over time and later abandoned. No trace of it can be found as the area behind it was heavily urbanised and altered. Bringing water back into the Zisa fountain was an important and emblematic step in giving the Zisa its original significance and charm back.
A closed-circuit hydraulic system was thus installed to recycle the water, which escaped from the fountain’s tap and flowed into the inclined marble surface, known as the “ shādirwān
”.
This is a typical element of Islamic and generally oriental fountains. From here, the water could flow through the hall’s central channel, where small octagonal basins are inserted, and finally flow outside into the fish pond. In order to make the most of the Fountain room, it was equipped with a lighting system designed to highlight the environment’s various plastic or figurative parts with a special effect, obtained on the “shādirwān”, where the flowing water could reflect the sparkles in harmony with its sound. A little corner of paradise, a reminder of the ancient splendour of times gone by.
Gold and light: the splendour of the mosaics in the Royal Chapel
The senses tell the architecture
The senses tell the flooring
The Norman conquest of Sicily and the birth of a new Latin kingdom
The senses tell the ceiling
The Admiral’s dedication
The rediscovered palace
The architectural space
Shapes and colours of the wooden ceiling
Intertwining of knowledge in Norman Palermo
The Cassaro
The senses tell the external architecture and the original layout
From earthquake to collapse
The opus sectile floor of the Palatine Chapel
The mosaic cycle, an ascending path towards the light
The architectural appearance and transformations over time
The interior of the church
The return of water
The architectural envelope: the Greek cross layout oriented towards the light
The senses tell restorations
The Palace of Kings
The senses tell the mosaic cycle
The beautiful Zisa and its garden: solacium regi among sounds, colours and scents
Decorations
The decorations on the bell tower
The senses tell the historical context
The senses tell the historical context
The Genoard Park, the garden of pleasures and wonders
The mosaics of the naves
Restorations
The ancient convent of the Martorana, a history of devotion and tradition
The loca solatiorum: dwellings for recreation, well-being and hunting
Different styles and transformations of “one of the most beautiful monuments in the world”
From oblivion to the recovery of memory
The birth of the Norman kingdom
The flooring: shapes, motifs and iconography
Saint Peter’s Chapel in the Royal Palace
the Baroque interior
The mosaics of the transept and the apses
the roof of Paradise: one of the most representative works of medieval art
An architectural crescendo
The senses tell the historical context
A building constructed in a short space of time
The senses tell the architecture and decorations
MiC – Ministero della Cultura
Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.
Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.
Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.
. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of restoring the flow of water coming out of the fountain. The fountain was originally fed by the aqueduct behind it, flowing from the springs of the
Gabriel
.
