Back Ціза Byelorussian La Zisa German La Zisa Esperanto Palacio de Zisa Spanish زیسا Persian Palais de la Zisa French לה זיסה HE Zisa Palota Hungarian La Zisa Italian La Zisa Dutch
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Zisa of Palermo | |
| Location | Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Part of | Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale |
| Reference | 1487-006 |
| Inscription | 2015 (39th Session) |
| Area | 0.8 ha (2.0 acres) |
| Coordinates | 38°07′00″N 13°20′29″E / 38.11667°N 13.34139°E |
  Location of Zisa, Palermo in Sicily  Zisa, Palermo (Italy) | |
The Zisa is a grand 12th-century Norman hunting lodge and summer palace in the western area of Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. The edifice was begun around 1165 by Arab craftsmen under the rule of the Norman conqueror of Sicily, king William I of Sicily. It was not finished until 1189, under the rule of William II. It is presently open to the public for tours.
The name Zisa derives from the Arab term al-Azīz, meaning "dear" or "splendid".[1] The same word, in Naskh script, is impressed in the entrance, according to the usual habit for the main Islamic edifices of the time. The structure was conceived as a summer residence for the Norman kings, as a part of the large hunting resort known as Genoardo (Arabic: Jannat al-Arḍ, literally "Earthly Paradise")[2] that included also the Cuba Sottana, the Cuba Soprana and the Uscibene palace, and extensive gardens, of which no traces remain. Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, widow of William II, was confined to the palace by the new king Tancred of Sicily due to her backing Princess Constance aunt of William II to ascend the throne.
At the end of the 15th century the building fell into disrepair while in private hands. In 1635, a new owner, Giovanni de Sandoval, cousin to the Viceroy of Sicily, acquired the palace for free due to its poor state.[3] The palace remained in the hands of the Sandoval family until 1808, when it was eventually fell again to ruin once again. From 1808 to the 1950s the building was used a residence by the princes Notarbartolo di Sciara.[4] In the 1990s, the building was picked up for restoration by the Region of Sicily. In July 2015 it was included in the UNESCO Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale World Heritage Site.[5]
- ^ Christopher Gravett (1 July 2007). History of Castles, New and Revised. Lyons Press. ISBN 9781461749295.
- ^ A Companion to Medieval Palermo: The History of a Mediterranean City. Leiden; Boston : Brill. 2013. ISBN 9789004252530.
- ^ "Zisa". Photo Archive. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Zisa Early medieval hunting castle in the Arab Norman style". Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "Zisa Palace, Palermo - UNESCO".
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