21 Apr 2022

Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus

The area, where the present mosque of Damascus stands, was already a sacred place in Greek times as there was a temple to Zeus, which in Roman times was dedicated to Jupiter. During the Severan dynasty, following some modifications, it became one of the largest areas of worship in Syria. At the end ...
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21 Apr 2022

Ibn Hawqal

Arab geographer and traveller, Ibn Hawqal was born in Nisibin in 943. After spending his youth in Baghdad, he travelled for about 30 years, even reaching Western India, and in 973 he arrived in Sicily. Upon returning to his home town, he wrote the work Kitāb al-masālik wa l-mamālik, translated a...
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21 Apr 2022

empire of Byzantium

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was founded in 395 when Emperor Theodosius I divided the Roman Empire into two parts: a Western part of Latin culture and an Eastern part of Greek culture. Constantinople, now Istanbul, became the capital. Byzantine art, which was develop...
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21 Apr 2022

emirate of Spain

The Caliphate of Cordoba dates from 929 until 1031, during which time it extended over most of the Iberian Peninsula. The caliphs all came from the Umayyad dynasty. The flourishing Caliphate economy was largely based on trade and craftsmanship, while on a cultural level there was a great openness to...
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20 Apr 2022

crown

The Constance of Aragon’s crown, found in the tomb of Frederick II's first wife, was made in the workshop of the Royal Palace in Palermo. Dating from before 1222, the date of the queen's death, the work can be traced back to Norman production due to the refined gold filigree on the cap, the rough ...
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20 Apr 2022

silver plaque

In the sarcophagus of Constance, kept in Palermo Cathedral, an endotaffio was also found on a circular silver plate, now on display in the Treasury rooms of the Cathedral. It has an inscription, engraved on 9 lines and reads as follows: Hoc est corpus d(omi)ne / Co(n)sta(n)cie, illustris Roma/no(rum...
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20 Apr 2022

subsequent survey

The operation, carried out as part of the celebrations for the eighth centenary of the birth of Frederick II (1194 - 1994), was promoted by the Sicilian Region - Regional Department of Cultural Heritage. It was conducted in collaboration with the Central Institute for Restoration in Rome, the Region...
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20 Apr 2022

Palatine Chapel

The Palatine Chapel is currently located inside the Royal Palace of Palermo. Commissioned by King Roger II, its construction began in 1130 and was consecrated on 28 April 1140 as the private chapel of the sovereign and the royal family. With a central layout and three aisles, it is characterised by ...
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20 Apr 2022

red porphyry

Used by the Etruscans and the Romans, ancient porphyry is a variant that came from Ancient Egypt after it was conquered by Augustus following the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The Egyptians, in fact, used it in their works, associating it with royal power. From the 5th century AD it also became a symbo...
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20 Apr 2022

Constance of Hauteville

Constance of Hauteville was born in Palermo on November 2, 1154 to Roger II (1095 - 1154) and Beatrice of Rethel (c. 1135 - March 30, 1185). She inherited the Kingdom of Sicily when William II, the last member of the Norman Hauteville dynasty, died in 1189 without an heir. She married Henry VI, son ...
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