The Cubula, sometimes called the Cuba Soprana, is a small domed pavilion in a garden a short walk from La Zisa — all that remains of a Norman royal kiosk that once stood in the king's hunting park. Built around 1180, it is a square chamber with a low hemispherical dome on squinches, externally identical to small Fatimid garden pavilions of contemporary Cairo.
The Cubula is in the garden of the modern Villa Napoli and is opened on request to small groups; the local tourist office can advise on visiting hours, which are inconsistent. Its survival is itself remarkable — Palermo lost most of its Norman royal-garden architecture to centuries of development.