Photos of the Sumptuous Palatine Palace Mosaics Palermo

Home  /  Medieval Middle Ages Index /  Norman Romanesque Churches & Monasteries

Photos of the Sumptuous Palatine Palace Mosaics Palermo. Fabulous Byzantine Roman style of the Norman Palace Chapel mosaics. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

How To Download These Photos ?

Photos of the Sumptuous Palatine Palace Mosaics Palermo.

---

Photos of the Palatine Chapel Mosaics, Palermo.

The Palatine Chapel of St. Pete in the Norman Palace of Palermo Sicily, was commissioned by Norman King Roger II in 1132. The new Palatine Chapel was built over an older chapel, now the crypt, dating to 1080.

Palatine Chapel Design

The design of the Palatine Chapel follows traditional Byzantine rules. At one end it has 3 semicircular apses covered with semicircular domes.

The central aspe is higher than the 2 side apse and all 3 house altars.

In front of the of the apse a transept with a high dome runs the width of the chapel. A naive and 2 side aisles run back from the transept to the rear wall of the chapel

Between the naive and side aisles are 6 arabic pointed arches on each side.

The rear wall of the naive has a raised platform on which sat the kings throne.

Palatine Chapel Mosaics

What makes the Palatine chapel one of Europe’s great art treasures is its mosaic decorations. Every part of the interior of the chapel is covered with sumptuous mosaics.

The background color of the mosaic panels is gold which reflects the candles in such a way as to create a magic and mystical atmosphere that is almost overwhelming.

The oldest mosaics are probably in the transept and date from about 1140. These magnificently crafted mosaics depict the Acts of the Apostles. They were almost certainly made by the finest Byzantine Roman mosaic artists probably from Constantinople. The style of the design is heavily influenced by orthodox iconography and the inscriptions are in Greek.

The Palatine chapel is a political statement from the 11th and 12th century. It is designed to appeal to Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox Christians as well as Jews and Muslims alike.

Its mosaics depict biblical scenes as well as very rare secular mosaics and paintings on the ceiling depicting everyday life, animals and flowers.

The Arabic style multifaceted ceiling, made from Nebrodi pine, is influenced by Iraqi Abbasid art. The ceiling was the largest single Fatimid work of art of its day.

The Political Statement of the Palatine Chapel

In the design and art of the Palatine Chapel the Roger I was sending out a message of tolerance between Christians, Muslims & Jews. At the time Sicily had large Christian, Islamic and Jewish communities. Under the Norman Kings of Sicily these communities lived in harmony. To keep this equilibrium amongst his Sicilian subjects the Norman Kings refused to join the Crusades.

At the time the Court of the Norman Kings of Sicily was the most sophisticated and learned in Western Europe, with Greek and Arab scholars.

The Palatine Chapel of the Norman Palace Palermo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.