★ 15 cappella Palatina

The mosaics of the Palatine Chapel are of unparalleled elegance as concerns elongated proportions and streaming draperies of figures. They are also noted for subtle modulations of colour and luminance. The oldest are probably those covering the ceiling, the drum, and the dome. The shimmering mosaics of the transept, presumably dating from the 1140s and attributed to Byzantine artists, with an illustrated scene, along the north wall, of St. John in the desert and a landscape of Agnus Dei. Below this are five saints, the Greek fathers of the church, St. Gregory of Nissa, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom and St. Nicholas. The three central figures, St. Gregory, St. Basil, and St. John Chrysostom, are the Three Great Orthodox Church Fathers referred to as the Three Hierarchs, which originated fifty years earlier. Every composition is set within an ornamental frame, not dissimilar to that used in contemporaneous mosaic icons.
The rest of the mosaics, dated to the 1160s or the 1170s, are executed in a cruder manner and feature Latin (rather than Greek) inscriptions. Probably a work of local craftsmen, these pieces are more narrative and illustrative than transcendental. A few mosaics have a secular character and represent oriental flora and fauna. This may be the only substantial passage of secular Byzantine mosaic extant today.

The intricate and striking muqarnas that still exist in Italy are all in Palermo, mostly in the Zisa Palace and Capella Palatina. They are also a rare case of non-Islamic manifestations. They appeared in Sicily suddenly, meaning that a system as sophisticated as this one was likely imported from elsewhere. Scholars are not confident about where this art derives from, but theories range from North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Persia, or even locally. Some call upon the similarities between Zirid architecture fragments from the Qal’a Beni Hammad in Algeria and the Cappella Palatina roofs as examples of North African roots. There are also muqarnas in Tunisia that resemble the Capella Palatina. Another potential source is Syria where the earliest muqarnas are from the 12th century in Aleppo. Up to a dozen Syrian muqarnas styles resemble the Sicilian examples. The primary demerit to this theory is the fact that the Sicilian muqarnas precede their Syrian counterparts by 30 years. Some also believe the muqarnas came from the Fatimids in Egypt. There was potentially a period of unrest in Cairo and a lack of patronage for the arts, prompting Fatimid artists to flee to Sicily. Scholars theorize this encouraged collaboration between the Sicilians and Fatimids – who introduced muqarnas. There is a newer theory that skilled Islamic craftsmen already existed in Sicily and were responsible for the muqarnas. This is based on the evidence that the Sicilian muqarnas vary significantly enough from any Islamic counterparts. However, the leading theory is that the Fatimids are the originators of the Sicilian muqarnas, but there is a lack of tangible evidence. At the most, there is some written correspondence between Norman Palermo and the Fatimids, but this does not mention artisans or trading of…

The chapel combines harmoniously a variety of styles: the Norman architecture and door decor, the Arabic arches and ceiling designs and script adorning the roof, the Byzantine dome and mosaics. For instance, clusters of four eight-pointed stars, typical for Muslim design, are arranged on the ceiling so as to form a Christian cross.
The Cappella Palatina is built along an east–west axis. On the west side resides the throne platform and on the east side is the sanctuary with the nave connecting these two sides, with domes over each side. Along the northern wall of the sanctuary is the royal balcony and the northern chapel, where the King would watch and listen to the liturgy on special feast days. Along the nave runs two rows of colonnades, with windows in between each colonnade. The chapel was decorated with gold, pearls, porphyry, silk and marble.
The chapel has been considered a union of a Byzantine church sanctuary and a Western basilica nave. The sanctuary, is of an "Eastern" artistic nature, while the nave reflects "Western" influences.

The nave, constructed under Roger II, did not contain any Christian images. These were added later by Roger II's successors, William I and William II. The nave's ceiling consists of Arab, Greek and Latin inscriptions.
The frame for the royal throne sets against the west wall of the nave. There are six steps leading up to where the throne would be, along with two heraldic lions in two roundels upon the spandrels over the throne frame gable.
Part of the nave of the Cappella Palatina
The nave had different forms of decoration from the north and south to the east and west. Intricate lacing from the ceiling mold outline the arches of the nave in the north and South. These outlines are accompanied by oval medallions and cartouches. In the East and West, the decoration is similar to the muqarnas ceiling but is missing some molding for the borders of the ceiling.