Description of the attraction
Zisa is the former summer residence of King William II the Good, located in the western part of Palermo. Today, this luxurious medieval villa is considered a monument of the Arab-Norman style and an example of the influence of Moorish culture in Sicily.
King William I of Sicily began to build Tsizu in the 12th century, but he did not have time to see the fruits of his labor - his son, King William II the Good, who loved the oriental lifestyle and oriental architecture, became the first inhabitant of the palace. Tsiza became part of his huge hunting zone, on the territory of which the Cuba Palace in the same Arab-Norman style and several other buildings were also built. And the name of the residence, according to historical sources, comes from the Arabic word al-Aziz, which means “noble, glorious”. This word can still be seen today at the entrance to Qizu - this was usually done in all Islamic buildings of the 12-13 centuries.
In the 14th century, the inscription in Arabic was partially erased from the roof of the palace - instead of it, battlements were installed along the perimeter. And three centuries later, having passed into the possession of Giovanni di Sandoval, Ziza underwent an even more serious reconstruction: a marble emblem with the image of two lions was placed above the entrance, several rooms were re-planned, a new staircase was built and new windows were added. From 1808 until the middle of the 20th century, the palace was owned by the county family of Notabartolo di Shiara, and then was bought by the government of the autonomous region of Sicily. In the 1970s-1980s, Tsiza was restored (the northern part was demolished and rebuilt within its original boundaries) and turned into a museum - today inside you can see works of Islamic art and various artifacts collected along the Mediterranean coast. The main hall, decorated with mosaics of incredible beauty, is of particular interest to tourists. Once there was even a fountain in it, but later it was dismantled.
