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Palermo's Palazzo Dei Normanni and Cappella Palatina: A Guided Tour into Sicily's Royal History
4.7
36 Ratings
Palermo
Discover the rich royal history of Palermo with a guided tour of Palazzo dei Normanni and Cappella Palatina. Explore the oldest royal residence in Europe and marvel at the stunning Palatine Chapel. Don’t miss this cultural experience!
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
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Norman Palace - The Norman Palace. Construction on the palace started in the 9th century when Sicily was under Islamic rule, though it was renovated by the Normans in 1072 when their empire spread across Europe. Now, it’s the home of the Sicilian Regional assembly. You’ll get exclusive entrance into the palace and its gardens. Though not as well known as Rome’s Sistine Chapel or Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, the Cappella Palatina (or Palatine Chapel) is one of the most spectacular in all of Italy. The chapel, on the second-floor of the palace, was built in 1140 and gives an insight into the arts, science and philosophy of the dominant Western and Middle Eastern cultures at that time.
See traditional Islamic designs, Byzantine mosaics, and golden decorations in one of the best examples of the Arab - Norman - Byzantine style. Not only do your tickets allow you entrance to the palace and chapel, but you can explore the gardens too with your expert guide - Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel - The Palatine Chapel (Italian: Cappella Palatina) is the royal chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo, Sicily. This building is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman and Fatimid architectural styles, showing the tricultural state of Sicily during the 12th century after Roger I and Robert Guiscard conquered the island.
What's Included
- See the remains of a melting pot of eastern and western history in the Cappella Palatina
- Tickets and guided visit of Palace, Gardens and Cappella Palatina
- Be ready to visit one of the most ancient palaces in Europe
- Marvel at the Byzantine mosaics on the walls
- Licensed English or Spanish Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick up and drop off
Additional Information
Embark on a guided journey to two of Palermo’s must-see landmarks: the Palazzo dei Normanni and the Cappella Palatina. This includes admittance tickets, providing an excellent opportunity for history enthusiasts. Out of the numerous breathtaking sites in Palermo, the Palazzo dei Normanni should undoubtedly feature on your travel list. It served as the royal residence for the King of Sicily and holds the record as Europe’s earliest royal abode. Here, you can delve into the past of the many ruling dynasties that resided there, and revel in the exquisite architecture.
Entrance into the palace and its beautiful gardens is exclusively provided.
Whilst it may not have the renown of Rome’s Sistine Chapel or Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, the Cappella Palatina, or Palatine Chapel, is surely among Italy’s most stunning spectacles.
Your tickets not only ensure access to the palace and chapel but also allow you to tour the gardens under the guidance of an experienced guide!
- Please note: Palazzo dei Normani is a government venue. In case of official events or meeting the tour could be subject to cancellation
- The tour runs rain or shine
- We are sorry to inform you that pets are not permitted on our tours
Location
Norman Palace
Piazza del Parlamento
Piazza del Parlamento, Palermo. Look for our tour guide in front of Palazzo dei Normanni main entrance.
TIME: CLIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE AT THE MEETING POINT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(36 Ratings)
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Cheryl_c
Jul 30, 2024
Very knowledgeable guide - The palace, the archeological site, and Palatine Chapel are amazing - not to be missed when visiting Palermo. We got so much more out of the experience having a knowledgeable guide.
Review provided by Viator
Sao_s
Jul 28, 2024
Great place to see,... - Great place to see, excellent tour guide who gave us a lot of background information about the city and the palace.
Review provided by Viator
Victoria_k
Jul 24, 2024
Excellent tour of an unmissable historical monument - This was the best way to fully experience the history and splendour of the Norman Palace, and, in particular, the Palatine Chapel. Claudio, our guide, was excellent- knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and friendly. We learnt an incredible amount about the monument, and Palermo's fascinating history. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Bernadette_k
Jul 11, 2024
Renata - Great Palermo Tour Guide - Great Tour - Palermo Guided Tour of Palazzo Dei Normanni and Cappella Palatina
Renata was such a great guide! We were so fortunate to have her to ourselves, she was interesting and informative - she was passionate about Palermo and gave us some good tips re sightseeing and eating! We loved the tour,
Review provided by Viator
Brunapv2117gt
Jul 3, 2024
Nature and art: a surprise - Visit too short, next time I will stay more days. Visited and stayed in the historic center, very nice.... art, cuisine, friendliness and kindness. Excellent transportation. Too bad, really bad that people are not more attentive to the cleanliness of their city, you can not blame only the companies responsible for disposal. PS the beach of Mondello was a real surprise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debra_s
Jun 14, 2024
Surprising experience - How lucky was I to be the only guest on this particular tour! Laura was so wonderful and it was like walking through with a learned friend. She was so knowledgeable explaining all the details and the Chapel truly took my breath away. Not to be missed ☺️
Review provided by Viator
Leah_k
May 27, 2024
Palace and chapel tour - Our tour guide was THE BEST! she was so passionate about language and the history of Palermo. The palace and chapel are magnificent!
Review provided by Viator
Balehead1710
May 27, 2024
Peter is the best guide - Pietro (Peter) explains things with the intelligence of a school teacher and the passion of an absolute madman. Me and my wife thoroughly enjoyed the tour and felt like we learned plenty of new things.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patrizia
Jun 26, 2024
Unmissable place in Palermo - I visited the Norman palace and Palatine chapel in June 2024 with my 16-year-old son. Beautiful palace, wonderful chapel. Too bad about the
‘deficient organization... audio guides not available because “downloads”... even if we started the visit half an hour after the opening. Un vero peccato!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Radian_f
Jul 14, 2024
no experience - no experience w were late 20 minutes. no refund, no contact from the tour operator to ask were are we
Review provided by Viator
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