Guided Site tours

A guided tour of the Royal Palace of Palermo is an unmissable highlight for anyone visiting the city. https://www.federicosecondo.org/en/home-english/

Built on the ancient walls of Palermo, the Palazzo dei Normanni has witnessed centuries of history: from fortress to residence of the emirs during Arab rule, and later a royal seat under the Normans and subsequent dynasties.
Even today, the palace retains its institutional role, hosting the Sicilian Regional Assembly, confirming its central place in the political life of the island.

Since 2015, the Royal Palace has been part of the Arab-Norman itinerary of Palermo, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding historical and artistic value.

The guided visit to the Palazzo dei Normanni begins with the required security checks, due to the presence of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.

We will then reach an elegant inner courtyard dating back to the Renaissance and Spanish periods. Then we will enter the heart of the complex: the extraordinary Palatine Chapel.
This former royal chapel of the Norman kings is world-famous for its Byzantine mosaics and its magnificent wooden ceiling of Islamic tradition.

Climbing to the upper floor, we will walk through the Royal Apartments. They are largely from the Bourbon period. Here we will admire the splendid decorations of the Room of King Roger, one of the finest examples of cultural dialogue in medieval Europe.

The tour continues in the evocative Hanging Garden, created on a 16th-century bastion, where the theme of cultural syncretism extends even into the plant world.

The visit may conclude with one of the temporary exhibitions hosted in the palace and with the exploration of the archaeological area, where ancient walls—some dating back to the 4th century BC—and significant historical remains can still be seen.