Aktivitäten in Sizilien

“The Royal Palace of Palermo (11th-12th centuries) is the main monument to represent the wealth and political and cultural power of the Norman kingdom, a model of Arab-Norman architecture. An ancient Islamic Castrum erected on pre-existing Punic origins, from 1072 it became the residence of the Norman sovereigns. Its Torre Pisana (second quarter of the 12th century) is a unique example of a fortified tower, similar to those of the Norman donjon, whose plan is similar to ifriqeni Islamic models. La Joharia (mid-12th century) includes Sala dei Venti and Sala di Ruggero. The Sala dei Venti, or of the four columns, derives its architecture from the durqa'a, the inner courtyard of the Islamic ifriqeni and Fatimid palaces. It is preserved intact and is in fact one of the best preserved examples of this architectural typology in the medieval Mediterranean. Sala di Ruggero is characterized by impressive mosaics that cover the walls and the cross vault with profane, hunting and paradisiac scenes. The mosaics of Stanza di Ruggero, together with the fragments preserved in the Pisan Tower and the mosaic panel of Sala della Fontana in Palazzo della Zisa, are rare examples of profane decorations, distinguished by the significant presence of figurative elements derived from Islamic and Sassanid culture.. A widespread genre in the Byzantine courtly world of which today there are no traces except in historical sources.”