Palermo: Palazzo Reale … Palatine Chapel

Our destination this morning: Palazzo Reale di Palermo — aka the Royal Palace of Palermo — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is also known as Palazzo dei Normanni (Palace of the Normans).

With some of the other places on our ‘visit list’ having more restricted hours, we decided to put the palace on today’s sightseeing plans. The only wrinkle in that plan was that the Cappella Palatina — considered across the board as the crown jewel of the palace — would be closing earlier than usual due to Sunday mass. To that end, we left the apartment early on foot to arrive just as the palace opened to visitors at 8:30a.

After purchasing our admission from the ticket kiosk in the park-like square across from the palace, we joined the other early birds who were already making their way inside. More on the palace and the royal apartments in the next footprint. For now, let’s check out the Palatine Chapel

Built in 1132 by King Roger II the chapel is dedicated to the Apostle Peter. It merges Byzantine-style golden mosaics with the three-aisle layout typical of the Norman style, and a carved wooden muqarnas ceiling often seen in Islamic architecture. As such, it is considered the best example of the Norman-Byzantine-Arab style that was popular in 12th century Sicily.

Knowing that we had a limited time to visit the chapel, going there was our first priority. There was already a rather long queue waiting to go inside when it opened at 9:00a.

Disheartened, we wondered if it might be better to visit the chapel after the apartments. When Mui asked the advice of the staffer checking tickets, he quickly disabused us of that motion, promising that the line would only get longer and longer with each passing minute. So, we joined the queue. In a surprisingly short time, we were at the front of the line … while it continued to grow and snake around behind us.

To say that the chapel was packed with the 30-40 people allowed inside at any given time would not be an understatement. That there were several tour groups standing still as the guide regaled them with information and blocking the relatively narrow space didn’t help matters.

Nonetheless, the golden mosaics caught our eye in every direction … mingling with marble incrustations on the lower walls and the floor. Despite the reasonably bright lighting, the gold color did not sparkle as much as we thought it would. Nearby signage explained that urgent restoration of the mosaics is ongoing … work that should bring back the expected glitter and glamour.

Later during our visit we saw for ourselves that the post-Mass queue to visit Cappella Palatina indeed continued out into the palace gardens. Good thing we listened to the staffer outside the chapel and did not delay our visit.Read more