Cappella Palatina - Palermo

The chapel is located on the first floor of the Norman Palace and was built between 1130 and 1132 during the reign of Roger, as a chapel of the Royal Palace.

In 1132 it was given the status of a parish church and dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul , but over time the double dedication was forgotten and the parish was simply called St. Peter's. But the fact remains that the right aisle is decorated with episodes from the life of Saint Paul and the left aisle with episodes from the life of Saint Peter.

It is the successful synthesis of the Norman kings' desire to restore the cultural world of the Christian religion while at the same time drawing on the time-tested Muslim world for opulent decorations worthy of royal power . The chapel is completely covered in enchanting gold mosaic decoration by Byzantine craftsmen with religious iconographic themes, with a majestic Christ Pantocrator surrounded by angels and archangels in the dome.

The chapel has three naves, separated by ten columns, five on each side, of Egyptian granite. The floor is made of mosaic according to a design with identical and repeated motifs. Particularly interesting and rich is the mosaic at the base of the dome, which features a geometric design clearly of Byzantine inspiration. The very rich ceiling is made of stalactite , with Islamic style paintings: two rows of large chests in the shape of an eight-pointed star, enclosing a lobed dome with eight curved segments; the star has two faces, the inner one is decorated with geometric decorations, the outer one with (kufic) characters of the ancient Arabic script.

Since July 3, 2015, the Cappella Palatina is part of the World Heritage (UNESCO) in the "Arab-Norman Route of Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale".

Willem Vandenameele