William II was called the Good, unlike his father who was called the Bad. Born in Palermo in 1153, he assumed the throne at the age of 12 after the death of William I, protected by his mother Margaret of Navarre. Crowned in 1171, he became of age and devoted himself to strengthening relations with t...

Son of Henry VI of Hohenstaufen and Constance of Hauteville, Frederick II was born in Jesi on 26 November 1194. He was King of Sicily (1198), King of Jerusalem (1225) and Emperor (1220). Orphaned at the age of four, he was entrusted to the guardianship of Pope Innocent III before being crowned Emper...

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....

Collection systems that were used to create artificial water sources. They took the form of a series of underground tunnels draining, transporting and distributing water from the water table to the surface. Qanāt are also present in the Altofonte Park and the Genoard Park. ...

The chapel attached to the palace in Altofonte Park was dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Currently, it remains partially in its original appearance after being restored in the 1930s by architect Valenti. The small dome stands at the centre of the chapel, supported by round arches and a cylindrica...

The palace in Altofonte Park, built by Roger II as a summer residence and hunting lodge, was architecturally very similar to the Favara Palace, where the sovereign resided in winter. The Altofonte palace is actually composed of a series of rooms, all arranged around a porticoed courtyard, embellishe...

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...

The Scibene palace, probably built during the reign of Roger II, is located in Palermo's Altarello di Baida district, in the western part of the city. Despite its current poor condition, it was originally equipped with fishponds and hammām baths. Its architectural layout is similar to that of the P...

The Cubula, or little Cuba, was a pavilion in the Genoard park. Its structure echoes the shapes of the mausoleums of Ifriqiyya and Fatimid Egypt with a square layout and pointed arches decorated with ashlars. The building is crowned by a hemispherical dome. ...

Incorporated into the 18th-century Villa Napoli was a Norman palace in the Cuba-Calatafimi district. Of the original part, an arch in the eastern front of the building and part of the masonry are currently visible. ...