Restoration work on the mosaics in Palermo’s Palatine Chapel is about to start, with completion expected in a year.
The Ministry of the Interior’s Fund for Places of Worship is funding the project, valued at €1.1 million. Palermo’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage designed the schedule of works.
The contract was officially handed over this morning to Lithos Restauri, a Venice-based restoration company. The initiative is part of an agreement between the Sicilian Region and the Ministry of the Interior. Over the next 365 days, the Superintendence, led by Selima Giuliano, will oversee the operation in coordination with the regional Cultural Heritage department.
Several dignitaries attended the event, including ARS President Gaetano Galvagno, Palermo’s Prefect Massimo Mariani, Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, Monsignor Michele Polizzi of the Palatine Chapel, and Elvira Boglione from Lithos Restauri.
Renato Schifani, President of the Sicilian Region, expressed pride in the project: “We are proud to contribute the expertise of our regional administration to recover one of Palermo’s most beautiful monuments. Thanks to significant inter-institutional collaboration, we can preserve and enhance a symbol of Sicily’s art and history, recognised globally.”
Read: Quick Travel Guide: Palermo
A Historical Masterpiece
King Roger II of Sicily commissioned the Palatine Chapel, located within Palermo’s Royal Palace, in 1132 as part of his ambitious architectural legacy. Its incredible mosaics, which blend Byzantine, Islamic, and Norman artistic influences, are a big tourist draw.
The mosaics, completed by skilled Byzantine artisans, depict biblical scenes in gold and vibrant colours, making the chapel one of the finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture in the world. The ceiling, adorned with intricate wooden muqarnas, reflects the influence of Islamic art on the island.
Gaetano Galvagno, President of ARS and the Federico II Foundation, added: “The Palatine Chapel is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site but a treasure to preserve for future generations. Located within the Royal Palace, home to Europe’s oldest parliament, it attracts thousands of tourists and scholars every year. In a year’s time, we will once again admire the chapel’s Sicilian-Norman splendour, a jewel envied worldwide.”
Once complete, the Palatine Chapel’s mosaics will shine anew.
