The flooring of the Palatine Chapel is made of opus sectile, composed of tiny marble tiles which, when looked at closely, feature different colours and various shapes and shades. The large porphyry tondos, for example, are derived from circular sections of ancient columns. ...

The Palatine Chapel is located on the first floor of the palace, as if it were a treasure chest. Upon entering, you can see the architecture of the church, which was consecrated to St Peter on 28 April 1140. The layout, in the shape of a Latin cross, is longitudinal with three aisles separated by fi...

In the Norman era, walking on the Cassaro Alto meant admiring the magnificence of monarchical power. Today's Cassaro derives from Qasr, the palace that became the seat of the Emir during Islamic rule. Following his coronation, Roger II decided to transform and extend the building to make it his pala...

The Chapel of the Royal Tombs houses the tombs of Roger II, Constance of Hauteville, Henry VI of Swabia, Frederick II and Constance of Aragon. Four sarcophagi are placed in corresponding areas of the chapel, with those of Roger II and Constance of Hauteville in the background, and the funerary monum...

The shrines that hold the Cathedral’s treasure shine. Visiting the rooms is like travelling back in time and reliving a never forgotten past. The crown, three gold rings with precious stones and a plaque found in the tomb of Frederick II's first wife, Constance of Aragon, can still be admired toda...

In 1509, Antonello Gagini began one of his career's greatest works: the marble tribune for the central apse of the Cathedral. Even though the majestic creation can no longer be admired following the restorations in the 18th century, in past centuries the faithful who flocked to the cathedral could g...

The wooden ceiling covering the central hall and the side aisles was remarkable. The oak wood of the roof was lacquered and decorated in the resplendent colours of silver, white, yellow and black. In the concave, blue-coloured border, there were inscriptions in Greek characters which made the cover ...

In the flat area of the portico façade, between the arched sixths and the band above, which is ordered with the theory of the saints, a series of spirals comes to life, with figures of various kinds. The eyes of the beholder are filled with wonder: a fascinating tree of life appears, almost as if b...

The Cloister is located next to the wall of the Cathedral's northern aisle, and therefore in a non-canonical position in relation to the Orthodox layout of the monastic complexes, which places it next to the wall of the church's southern aisle. The cloister is delimited, to the south, by the north a...

The interior of the spaces of the presbytery area and the transept correspond to the volume, as designed by Roger's original project. The difference between this part of the building and the other, consisting of the aisles, is the large triumphal arch, visible in its original height, on the transept...