Palatine Chapel

Roger II had this chapel built inside his palace from 1132, and it combines three traditions without apology: a basilica plan with Byzantine mosaics on gold, an inlaid marble floor and pulpit in the Italian manner, and a muqarnas ceiling of painted wood in the Fatimid Islamic style, its honeycomb cells carrying hunting scenes, dancers, drinkers and inscriptions in Arabic. Craftsmen of all three cultures worked on it together, which is what the Arab-Norman listing of 2015 recognises. The chapel is small, and the effect comes from covering every surface. The palace above remains the seat of the Sicilian regional assembly.

What you actually see

• The muqarnas ceiling - a painted Islamic honeycomb over a Christian chapel.
• The Byzantine mosaics - gold-ground scenes across walls and apse.
• The inlaid floor - marble and porphyry work in the Cosmatesque manner.
• The three traditions - Norman, Byzantine and Islamic in one room.

When to go

Year-round; access is restricted when the regional assembly sits, usually mid-week, so check opening days. Timed tickets are used and sell out in season.

Honest expectations

The chapel closes on assembly days without much warning. Visits are timed and busy. The ceiling detail is high up and hard to see without binoculars.

Nearby

Monreale lies above the city; the cathedral is close.