In 1061 the Norman soldiers Roger I and Robert Guiscard, landed on the coast of eastern Sicily and began the conquest of the island, which, at that time, was inhabited by Arabs. The Normans came from Normandy (the north of France, from which their name “North-men”).

In just 30 years, the Normans took possession of the island and brought it back into the orbit of Christianity. 

In 1130, Roger II founded the Kingdom of Sicily, which included all of southern Italy with Campania, Calabria, Basilicata and Apulia. 

Before that time Palermo was seat of an important Muslim emirate for 180 years. With the Normans the city became the seat of the Kingdom of Sicily. 

Thus for the city  a great adventure began, which left an indelible mark in the monuments of the time, still visible today. 

Under the Normans Sicily was a multiethnic and multilingual land, composed of Muslims from the Maghreb, Greeks from the Eastern Empire (the so-called Byzantine Empire), and Latins and Lombards from other parts of Italy. 

The meeting and cooperation among these peoples, desired by the first Norman to land in Sicily, Roger I, and continued by his son Roger II, made the island one of the most sophisticated and cultured kingdoms of the time and among the major European powers. 

The Royal Palace in Palermo was home to the royal workshops where, oriental weavers embroidered the fine robes for the rulers, the court was frequented by writers, philosophers and scientists. 

The 12th century left an indelible mark on Palermo, visible today in the golden mosaics made by Byzantine craftsmen and in the Moorish decorations.  

These monuments were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015.

That is why your exploration of Palermo cannot miss a visit to such monuments, among the most beautiful and interesting in the city. 

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