Zisa Palace

Palermo, Italy

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:30; Su 09:00-13:00
Phone: +39 091 652 0269

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

The Zisa is a grand 12th-century Norman hunting lodge and summer palace in western Palermo, Sicily, begun around 1165 by Arab craftsmen under King William I and completed in 1189 under William II. Its name derives from the Arabic *al-ʿAzīza*, meaning "the Splendid one," a term inscribed at the entrance in Naskh script. Conceived as a royal retreat within the larger Genoardo hunting resort, the palace exemplifies the cultural synthesis of Norman Sicily, built through Arab craftsmanship under Norman rule. The structure housed notable historical figures, including Joan of England, widow of William II, who was confined there by King Tancred. After centuries of decline and private ownership—including tenure by the Sandoval family from 1635 to 1808 and the Notarbartolo di Sciara princes thereafter—the palace underwent restoration by the Region of Sicily beginning in the 1990s. In 2015 it was designated part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizing Arab-Norman Palermo and associated cathedral churches, and now operates as a public museum.

Type: château, religious museum, palazzo museum
Heritage: part of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Italian national heritage
Place: Palermo, Italy

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Location

38.11677, 13.34106