Genoard, from the Arabic for Paradise Garden, occupied the western part of the Palermo plain. Sollatium buildings inspired by the Persian model, such as the Cuba, the Zisa, the Cuba Soprana and the Scibene, were located within the park. A grand Islamic garden, it was a place of pleasures filled with...

The Norman kingdom became a melting pot of different worlds, languages and religions, not only Western Latin but also Eastern Byzantine and Islamic Arabic. The rulers succeeded in creating a dialogue between the people of the Mediterranean, based on peaceful coexistence, cooperation and the mixing o...

The domus was the typical dwelling of ancient Rome. Inhabited by the wealthier classes, usually Patricians, it was a private house with two entrances: the external entrance, or ostium, and the atrium, the main entrance located in the centre of a large courtyard. The courtyard, which had a skylight a...

Translated into English as "enclosed garden", it is the typical medieval form of garden in monastic cloisters. It is a green space surrounded by walls, therefore isolated from the outside, rich in plants, fruit trees and there is often a well, fountains and other water sources. Also mentioned in the...

Riyadh is a palatial garden located within the urban area. It has a quadripartite shape as it is enclosed within an architectural structure and is of Persian origin. Inside the riyadh, there are kiosks, small basins, water channels and avenues. Unlike the àgdal (a veritable garden of leisure and pl...

In the 20th canto of Paradise, set in the sixth heaven of Jupiter, the supreme poet Dante Alighieri recalls the prosperity of Sicily resulting from the good government of William II, placing him among the spirits of the righteous princes glorified in Paradise. In particular, Dante dedicates verses 6...

In Islamic and then Norman times, Palermo was surrounded by numerous parks and gardens, organised around palaces, monasteries and splendid residences. These extra-moenia palaces are described by Ibn Jubayr. The Arab traveller compares the buildings that encircle the city to a precious necklace....

Ibn Jubayr visited the city of Palermo between December 1184 and January 1185. The traveller and writer was born in Valencia in 1145. After studying religious sciences and literature, he devoted himself to travelling to: Ceuta, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Egypt, Arabian Peninsula, Baghdad, Mosul, Alepp...

The Maredolce park falls within the Parco Vecchio (Old Park), in the southern countryside of the Palermo plain, and is home to the Favara castle. The origin of the castle is controversial, however, as it may have been a new building commissioned by Roger or simply a restoration of pre-existing archi...

From the Arabic word “saqiya”, saie were used for channelling water and took the form of a very dense network of pipes and channels that brought water up to the surface. The saie were also required for irrigation. ...