About
The chapel is covered in craftsmanship from all over the world.
Located on the second-floor of the popular Palazzo dei Normanni (in English, Palace of the Normans), the breathtaking Cappella Palatina in Palermo is an impressive relic from illuminated society. The chapel was built in 1140 under the kingdom of Ruggero II of Sicily, the result of craftwork from all across the Norman world. The set-up of the chapel mirrors the traditional Roman basilica layout: a three-nave longitudinal body divided by rows of granite columns with Cipolin Corinthian capitals bearing Islamic ogive arches over to the roof. The roof is a vaulted wooden surface decorated in traditional Islamic designs, comprised of complicated and somewhat mind-blowing geometries called “muqarnas.” The interior surface is entirely decorated with surprisingly complementary Byzantine mosaics depicting stories from saints Paul and Peter.
