Castle of the Zisa

The construction of this sollatium (a pleasurable place) was undertaken in the last years of the life of William I and completed by his son William II. It can be dated between 1165 and 1167. The name comes from the Arabic Al-Aziz, which means “beautiful”, and even today it’s in fact one of the most beautiful Arab-Norman civil buildings.

According to the testimony of the historian Romualdo di Salerno, the king built the palace in Genoardo park and he surrounded it with magnificent fruit trees and beautiful gardens that made it pleasant, with many waterways and large ponds for fish.

Over the years, the Zisa has been restored and rebuilt not always with good results, and has only recently been given back – as far as possible in its entirety – for public use. In fact, the castle was turned into a Museum of Islam and it has interesting examples of the Arab world in Sicily. Moreover, as the original structure of the building was respected during the restoration as much as possible, the visit inside allows you to learn what the architecture of the Islamic medieval palaces was like.

The ventilation and refrigeration system of the room is particularly interesting and, among these, the so-called Fountain Room, decorated with mosaics.