The Zisa Palace of Palermo, or the Castle of Zisa, is the most preserved monument of Islamic culture in Sicily and was the summer residence of the Norman kings of Palermo. This was, in fact, a place of rest and entertainment for them. The Palace is also linked to a very particular legend: that of the devils of Zisa and since 2015 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and is located within the “Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale” itinerary.
The story of the Zisa of Palermo
The Zisa of Palermo was a summer residence of the Norman kings and its name derives from the Arabic Al-Azīz, which means “glorious”, “splendid”. The construction of this palace began in 1165 at the request of William I and was completed by his son William II between 1165 and 1180. The Zisa was located within the Genoardo (from the Arabic Jannat al-ar, “garden” or “paradise of the earth”), a park that was inspired by Islamic gardens and extended outside the city walls. During the Middle Ages, the palace became a fortified agricultural center and kept its appearance intact until 1635-36, when it was purchased by Giovanni de Sandoval and Platamone. The new owner decided to greatly modify the palace, in fact, he had another floor built with the closure of the terrace and added balconies and a large monumental staircase inside. In the 19th century, the property passed to the Notarbartolo family who had partitions and flooring created. In 1955, the Sicily Region purchased the Zisa and restored it.
Architecture and interior
The Castle of Zisa has a rectangular plan and is developed on three different levels. The typical geometries of Fatimid art are also present in the structure of the palace. In the central part, there are two representative halls, the Fountain Hall and the Belvedere Hall, while in the two lateral wings there are the private apartments of the king. The main façade of the Zisa faces northeast, to take advantage of the sea breeze and refresh the palace halls. Above the main entrance door is visible the family crest of the Sandoval. The merlons in the upper part, which make the building look like a castle, are an addition from the 14th and 15th centuries. On the right of the palace, the remains of a Roman or Arab thermal building, adapted in the 12th century, are visible.
The most fascinating environment of the entire interior of the Castle of Zisa is the Fountain Hall. Here, typical architectural elements of Islamic art can be recognized. The hall is a symbolic representation of a salsabil, that is a noble environment in which the presence of a fountain recalls one of the water courses of the Koranic paradise. In the marble walls, there are niches and columns. Water flowed from the wall and reached an oblique zigzag plate called sardiwan, flowed in a channel that divided the hall in two parts, then flowed into the external pool. On the fountain wall, there are also mosaics with archers and animals that recall some scenes also represented in the Palatine Chapel. The ceiling, on the other hand, has wonderful stalactite vaults, a typical decoration of Arabic art and called muqarnas.
The Legend of the Devils
The entrance to the Fountain Hall is preceded by a Baroque arch with frescoes depicting creatures and gods of Roman mythology. These decorations, made when the palace was owned by the Sandoval family, are linked to a popular legend. The figures are actually devils that protect a treasure of gold coins inside the palace. To hide it inside the Zisa, two young lovers, Azel Comel, the son of a Sultan, and El-Aziz, the daughter of an Emir, fled from home because her father was hindering their love. But before they escaped, they stole an immense wealth from the Sultan. When they arrived in Palermo, they had the Palazzo della Zisa built so they could enjoy their love. But when El-Aziz discovered that her mother had committed suicide after her daughter’s flight, she decided to take her own life. Azel Comel became crazy from the loss of his beloved and decided to throw himself into the sea but before hiding the treasure inside the Palace. The legend also says that whoever tries to count the number of Zisa’s Devils, they can’t, because they start to move and mix. It also seems that if on the day of the Annunciation (March 25), the Devils are fixed for too long, they will start to move their tail or twist their mouth.
The Museum of Islamic Art
Inside the Zisa Castle is the Palermo Museum of Islamic Art. It collects works produced between the 9th and 12th centuries, from Sicily and several countries in the Mediterranean. Among the most important artifacts are several brass, gold and silver utensils and furnishings and wooden mashrabiyya. These are natural forced ventilation devices typical of Arabic architecture, to refresh the environment. There is also a plaque from 1149 with inscriptions in four languages: Hebrew, Latin, Byzantine Greek and Arabic, which testifies to the multiethnicity of medieval Palermo.