Norman Palace & Palatine Chapel

The Norman Palace has a Medieval facade with wonderful and opulent interior.

The Royal Palace of Palermo, also known as the Norman Palace, was the seat of the Kings of Sicily during the Norman domination and consequently the seat of power for the following rulers. With a rigorous Medieval exterior look, don’t get fooled as the interior is opulent and rich. Not all areas of the Norman Palace are accessible to visit, but the main areas to see -in order of importance- are the Palatine Chapel, The Royal Apartments and the exhibition space. The gold covered mosaics of the Palatine Chapel need no explanations, this impressive site is a feast for the eyes, a masterpiece, a mixture of Byzantine art with Norman/Arab construction with ceilings and walls covered in gold mosaics. The Royal Rooms are also incredible with stunning mosaics and affrescos. But be aware that the Royal Rooms can only be visited from Friday to Monday on certain times of the day as they are currently used from the Sicilian government for parliamentary business.

Admission Fee: Friday to Monday & Festivities €8.50 Full/ €6.50 reduced / Tuesday to Thursday €7.00 Full/ €5.00 reduced

Opening Times: 8:15-17.40 (last ticket sold 17.00) Monday to Saturday/ Sunday & holidays 8:15 – 13.00 (tickets sold till 12.15)/ No visits to the Palatine Chapel from 9.45 to 11.15 on Sundays and festivities due to religious functions.

Address: Piazza Indipendenza, 1 Palermo

Tip: read all the fine lines of when you can see what…the weekends are better for visiting the Royal apartments but then if you go on a Sunday you risk missing out on the Palatine Chapel.