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Similar to any other conqueror’s story, the Norman past of southern Italy is no fairytale but a tale of multiple battles, few decisive. The conquest of southern Italy was spread over most of the 11th century and it was led by characters that independently forged themselves into the heat of battle. The conquests were subsequently summed up to a united territory, the Kingdom of Sicily.

Not that similar to the conquest of England (1066), Sicily’s occupation was unforeseen and didn’t enjoy an organizational frame. Even under these circumstances, Sicily’s Norman age was just as powerful as its English counterpart.

Beginning with the 11th century, the transformation of Sicily gained a certain strength that fortunately can still be witnessed by means of Norman remnants. The Norman style was one of the three elements of the Romanesque style. The Norman, the Arabs and the Byzantines were the three different cultures that created this quintessential style.

One of the emblematic Norman elements is the cathedral or duomo. Three of the most impressive remains of this kind are the Cathedrals of Montreale and Cefalu and the Palazzo dei Normanni from Palermo. The cathedral from Cefalu is the first landmark of Roger II. The edifice is individualized by pointed arches and angled columns that still tell the church’s story.

At the top of Norman architecture rests the Palazzo dei Normanni. The site was originally occupied by an Arabian palace from the 9th century, which the Normans took over and enlarged between 1132 and 1140. The diamond of the site is the Cappella Palatina (the Palatine Chapel), an Arab-style remnant that proudly enjoys a magnificent modern honeycomb ceiling based on Arab features. The fine icons of Saint Peter and Saint James adorn the already notorious chapel. One of the medieval Byzantine images, that of Christ Pantocrator (the Ruler of All), is represented by means of the central mosaic icons in the dome. The construction of the chapel must have ended prior to 1140, but the artistic blow surely took some more years, as certain artists such as Tunisian artists, Orthodox monks from Sicily, Italy and Greece had been contracted for the job.

Even if most tourists are drawn in by the mysteries of the chapel, the palace presents much more mysteries to be discovered. Roger’s salon, the Observatory and the Baroque rooms add up to the Norman treasure. The palace furthermore presents well-preserved interiors, such as Roger’s salon that is the room closest to its original image. The Observatory also makes an interesting site as it is the one that was used for discovering the large asteroid in 1801.

The exterior of the palace presents preserved battlements, but they do not really succeed in capturing the spectators. The inner life is the impressive one and manages to rebuild the former Norman grace.

These marks of Norman legacy must be witnessed for consequent comprehension and it would definitely be a shame to miss discovering.