Royal Palace, Palermo

The Palazzo dei Normanni dates to the 9th century CE and is said to be the oldest royal residence in Europe. It has been the seat of the government of Sicily since st least 1072 when the Normans conquered the island, and continues to house the regional Sicilian parliament.
The castle was started by the previous Arab rulers, and there is an Arab Norman style evident in the palace architecture and elsewhere around the city. During the 10th to the 13th century there was a great deal of interchange among Norman, Latin, Arab and Byzantine Greek peoples especially in the sciences and cultures. The Normans were tolerant of all people who settled and contributed, bringing the diversity that makes Sicily unique.
The 1st picture is the central courtyard with it's arabesque columns and arches. If you enlarge the picture, you will see life size dog sculptures that are part of an exhibition that runs through the palace.
The 2nd picture is of the royal gardens located within the palace grounds. This small botanical garden has many unusual and rare specimens, probably best known for a large Ficus thst encloses a domestic pine tree.
The remaining pictures are of various royal apartments. The last one is extraordinary and is a small bit of the Sala di Ruggero. It is so named as it dates to King Roger II. That is gold, and there are design elements reflecting all the cultures in the Norman kingdom of Sicily. The design here are worldly, but they have much in common with the Cappella Palatina (see another post), at least in technique.Read more