Cappella Palatina

Norman chapel with Byzantine mosaics and Islamic painted ceiling

Address Piazza del Parlamento 1, 90129 Palermo
Admission €12 (includes Palazzo dei Normanni)
Opening Hours Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 09:00–13:00

The private chapel of the Norman kings, built by Roger II in 1130 inside the Palazzo dei Normanni, and one of the most astonishing interiors in Europe. Every surface is covered: Byzantine gold mosaics on the walls and apse, a marble floor, and the extraordinary painted muqarnas ceiling — Islamic in form, secular in subject matter — covering the nave. The combination of three artistic traditions in a single small room, all working at the highest level, is without parallel.

Allow at least an hour. The Palazzo dei Normanni (Norman Palace) and its royal apartments are included in the same ticket. Book online to avoid queues.

things to do landmark
A story
The wooden muqarnas ceiling — the honeycomb-like stalactite carving covering the nave — is the largest surviving example of Fatimid painted woodwork in the world. It was made by Arab craftsmen for a Norman king, depicts scenes from court life and the hunt, and contains not a single Christian image. Roger II, who commissioned it in 1130, was fluent in Arabic and employed Muslim, Byzantine, and Norman artists simultaneously — the ceiling is the most visible proof of what that actually looked like.