The Zisa is alternatively listed as either a castle or palace, and located in the western area of Palermo, region of Sicily,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The edifice was begun around 1165 by an Moorish craftsman under the rule of the Norman conqueror of Sicily, king

William I of Sicily William I (1120 or 1121May 7, 1166), called the Bad or the Wicked ( scn, Gugghiermu lu Malu), was the second king of Sicily, ruling from his father's death in 1154 to his own in 1166. He was the fourth son of Roger II of Sicily, Roger II and Elvi ...

. It was not finished until 1189, under the rule of William II. It is presently open to the public for tours. The name ''Zisa'' derives from the Arab term ''al-Azīz'', meaning "dear" or "splendid". The same word, in Naskh script, is impressed in the entrance, according to the usual habit for the main Islamic edifices of the time. The structure was conceived as a summer residence for the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

kings, as a part of the large hunting resort known as ''Genoardo'' (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: ''Jannat al-arḍ'', literally "Earthly Paradise") that included also the Cuba Sottana, the Cuba Soprana and the Uscibene palace, and extensive gardens, of which no traces remain.

Joan of England, Queen of Sicily Joan of England (October 1165 – 4 September 1199) was a Queen of Sicily and countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in ...

, widow of William II, was confined to the palace by the new king

Tancred of Sicily Tancred ( it, Tancredi; 113820 February 1194) was King of Sicily from 1189 to 1194. He was born in Lecce an illegitimate son of Roger III, Duke of Apulia (the eldest son of King Roger II) by his mistress Emma, a daughter of Achard II, Count o ...

due to her backing Princess Constance aunt of William II to ascend the throne. At the end of the 15th century the building fell into disrepair while in private hands. In 1635, a new owner, Giovanni de Sandoval, cousin to the

Viceroy of Sicily This is a list of viceroys of Sicily: Aragonese direct rule 1409–1516 * John of Aragon, Duke of Peñafiel, later king John II of Aragon, 1458–1479, acted 1409–1416. * Domingo Ram y Lanaja, Bishop of Lleida 1416–1419 * Antonio de Cardona ...

, acquired the palace for free due to its poor state. The palace remained in the hands of the

Sandoval Sandoval is a habitational surname of Spanish language, Spanish origin. It primarily originates from Sandoval de la Reina, Spain, earlier called ''Sannoval'', which is a blend word of Latin ''saltus'' (meaning 'grove' or 'wood') and Latin ''novalis ...

family until 1808, when it was eventually fell again to ruin once again. From 1808 to the 1950s the building was used a residence by the princes

Notarbartolo Notarbartolo is one of the main aristocratic families of the Sicilian nobility. Originated in the Middle Ages, it gave to the island numerous personalities who have made a significant contribution to its social, political, intellectual and artisti ...

di Sciara. In the 1990s, the building was picked up for restoration by the Region of Scallia. In July 2015 it was included in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale World Heritage Site.

Architectural Style

The structure includes Islamic elements such as rounded archways,

muqarnas Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of I ...

, and vaulted niches. In the 14th century

merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...

s were added, by partly destroying the Arab inscription (in

Kufic Kufic script () is a style of Arabic script that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration, and it has since become a reference and an archetype for a number of other Arabic scripts. It ...

characters) which embellished the upper part of the building. More substantial modifications were introduced in the 17th century, when the Zisa, reduced to very poor conditions, was purchased by Giovanni di Sandoval e Platamone, Marquis of S. Giovanni la Mendola, Prince of Castelreale, Lord of the Mezzagrana and the Zisa. The latter's marble coat of arms with two lions can be seen over the entrance fornix. Several rooms of the interior were modified and others added on the ceiling, a great stair was built, as well as new external windows.

Use

As the Zisa was originally built as a semi-rural summer home, many of the styling choices reflect this. A pool at the front of the building flowed through open channels into the interior to the main hall. The architect chose to use thicker material for building and smaller windows to keep a stable internal temperature. The castle had a fully functional air conditioning system that allowed airflow throughout the whole of the building that was heavily inspired by Egyptian and Mesopotamian architectural styles and the architect also made the conscious choice to build the building facing towards the ocean. La Zisa (Palermo)-msu-1093

Gallery

File:Sommer, Giorgio (1834-1914) - La Ziza, Palermo.jpg, La Zisa, c. 1880 File:Palermo-Zisa-bjs-3.jpg,

Niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

with fountain in the main hall File:0693 - PA - La Zisa - Portico - Foto G. Dall'Orto.jpg, Vestibule File:0700 - PA - La Zisa - intrerno con musciarabia - Foto G. Dall'Orto.jpg, The hall on the second floor File:La Zisa (Palermo)-msu-1128.jpg, Niche with murquanas File:Castello Zisa.jpg, Garden and fountain File:Crupi, Giovanni (1849-1925) - n. 0363 - Palermo - Interno Zisa - Cm 23x17 - Delcampe.jpg, Crupi, Giovanni (1849-1925) File:Palermo Castello della Zisa (xilografia di Barberis 1892).jpg, Castello della Zisa (1892)

References

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Bibliography

* Giuseppe Bellafiore: ''La Zisa di Palermo'', Flaccovio, Palermo, 1994. * Donald Matthew: ''The Norman Kingdom of Sicily'', Cambridge University Press, 1992. * John Julius Norwich: ''The Normans in Sicily: The Normans in the South 1016-1130 and the Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194'', Penguin, 1992. * Seindal, René. 2003. "Zisa: Early Medieval Hunting Castle in the Arab Norman Style". http://sights.seindal.dk/ sight/76_Zisa.html. * “La Zisa - Palermo, Italy.” ''Atlas Obscura'', Atlas Obscura, 29 Nov. 2013, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-zisa. * "La Zisa". 1997. Storia dei Monumenti Siciliani Website. http://www.grifasi-sicilia.com/monumpalermo1.htm * "Palazzo della Ziza". Le Normands: Peuple d'Europe Website. http://www.mondes-normands.caen.fr/angleterre/ Patrimoine_architectural/Italie/sicile/palazzi/1154_1189/38/index.htm. Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century Castles in Palermo Palaces in Palermo Arab-Norman architecture in Palermo Royal residences in the Kingdom of Sicily Romanesque palaces Norman architecture in Italy Islamic architecture Castles in Sicily Museums in Palermo Historic house museums in Italy World Heritage Sites in Italy Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale

Architectural Style

Use

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography