Cappella Palatina · Palermo

The Norman royal chapel inside the Palazzo dei Normanni — built between 1132 and 1140, with floor-to-ceiling Byzantine gold mosaics and a wood-carved muqarnas ceiling done by Arab craftsmen for the Norman king. The single most beautiful room in Sicily, and one of the few places where you can see the Norman, Arab, and Byzantine fusion working in one space. Go right at opening (8:30 a.m.) before the tour buses arrive. Closed Sun afternoons.

No member reviews yet — the first name on the record gets to set the tone.