Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman makeover, during which spectacular mosaics were added to its royal apartments and magnificent chapel, the Cappella Palatina. Visits to the apartments, which are off-limits from Tuesday to Thursday, take in the mosaic-lined Sala dei Venti and King Roger's 12th-century bedroom, Sala di Ruggero II.
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Palazzo dei Normanni
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3.89 MILES
Inspired by a vision of the Virgin and determined to outdo his grandfather Roger II, who was responsible for the cathedral in Cefalù and the Cappella…
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
0.28 MILES
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Galleria Regionale della Sicilia
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Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
0.58 MILES
Built as a hospice in the early 14th century and transformed into a Dominican convent the following century, this monastic complex wows with its…
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Taking over 20 years to complete, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe. The closing scene of The…
0.39 MILES
Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…
Nearby Palermo attractions
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
2. Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti
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One of Palermo's finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, this five-domed, 12th-century church is named for Sicilian hermit-monk and miraculous wolf…
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Standing confidently beside the Palazzo dei Normanni is the Porta Nuova (New Gate), built to celebrate the arrival of Carlos V in Palermo in 1535 after a…
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A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…
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8. Museo Regionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea della Sicilia (Riso)
0.46 MILES
In a restored 18th-century neoclassical palazzo, this two-level bastion of modern and contemporary art includes an extraordinary installation by Greek…