Palazzo dei Normanni

Museum · Palermo

Palazzo dei Normanni

Museum · Palermo

Piazza del Parlamento, 1, 90129 Palermo PA, Italy

Highlights

Palatine Chapel mosaics, royal apartments, Phoenician ruins

Piazza del Parlamento, 1, 90129 Palermo PA, Italy Get directions

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"Also known as the Royal Palace and the oldest royal residence in Europe, now home to the Sicilian Parliament and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex is a resplendent example of Norman and Spanish architecture and is one of the city’s most important historic sights." - Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz is a writer and editor based in Rome. She has been contributing to Travel + Leisure since 2014, when she started as a fact checker before becoming a contributing digital editor in 2015. She has also held positions as a contributing editor at The Points Guy and the NYC cities editor at DuJour Magazine. In addition to Travel + Leisure, her writing has appeared in Architectural Digest, Surface Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, T Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, GQ, Departures, Afar, Fodor's, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Hemispheres, and others. When she's not jetsetting around Italy and beyond, she can be found in Rome, enjoying some cacio e pepe or relaxing at home with her husband and two dogs. Originally from the Boston area, Laura moved to New York City in 2011 to pursue a master's degree in creative writing and translation at Columbia University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in French from Smith College. * 10+ years of experience writing and editing * Co-wrote "New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants," an award-winning guide to New York City's speakeasy scene published by Jonglez Editions in 2015 * Contributed to "Fodor's Brooklyn," published by Penguin Random House in 2015, which won silver in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition * Contributed an essay to "Epic Hikes of Europe," published by Lonely Planet in 2021 * Updated the 2022 edition of "Fodor's Essential Italy" Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

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View Postcard for Palazzo dei Normanni

@afar

"Palermo's Norman Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been a seat of power in Sicily for centuries. Its apartments (open to the public Friday through Monday) provided quarters to King Roger II during his reign in the 12th century, and the palace is still in use today: It now houses the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Visit the basement to see the stone walls of the original Phoenician structures upon which the palace was built. The opulent Palatine Chapel, added by Roger II in 1132, is an attraction in its own right."

The Essential Guide to Palermo

View Postcard for Norman Palace

Alexandra Pera

Google

The palatine chapel is marvellous... half of it is under restoration work though... and the royal apartments were also closed unfortunately... so all we got to see was the chapel, photography exhibition, a bit of archeological artifacts and the gardens... it wasn't as much to see as I hoped for, the ticket should be cheaper in this situation. We paid 15 euros each since it was a weekday. No long lines on weekdays.

Lisa A

Google

Pay 20 euro to get in and then you'll have to pay .50 COIN ONLY to get into the bathroom. Since the bathroom guards have no mercy, there's a beautiful royal garden nearby in case you forgot the coin. Other than that, beautiful place and could spend a long time here (as long as you don’t have to pee).

J Sgam

Google

Top 3 takeaways. The palace and chapel are amazing and unique. The english explanations are okay but could use some improvement. Lastly, despite a 19 Euro entrance fee, they charge to use the bathroom! I guess charging for public toilets but charging on top of an entrance ticket is ridiculous. That aside, the preservation of the palace is remarkable. The chapel is a work of art and filled with beautiful mosaics that retell several Bible stories. Be sure to go on a day when the apartments are open, they are worth seeing.

Jan Smith

Google

Worth the 19€ entrance price and long lines to buy tickets. The chapel is exquisite. Royal apartments are lovely but not spectacular. The royal garden is somewhat lacking and disappointing. The ruins exhibition / excavation is quite interesting. We were not fond of the photography art exhibit.

Kalyan Kalyan

Google

The audio guides were great and new. The museum is also used for the Sicilian parliament. The Picasso exhibition was great with at least 25 paintings from Picasso. The architecture was very diversified with each ruler of Sicily putting in their touch to the museum. The queue to get tickets was very long (1h+) and you then need to queue to get in the museum (20-30m).I would recommend you to buy your tickets online.

Shana Antonissen

Google

Beautiful and historically rich site. My advice: go early or late to avoid the crowds and definitely buy your tickets online—otherwise you'll be stuck in a long ticket line. Don’t skip the gardens; they’re absolutely worth the visit. Also, double-check the operating hours before you go—they can be a bit tricky.

Binay Gurung

Google

We had a whole day to kill before our night flight on the day of our return. This palace was not in the original plan but we thought it would be a nice thing to do to kill time. It was actually a good decision. There are a few small museums, a nice garden and lots of history if you are so inclined. Tickets are moderately priced and it doesn't get too busy. A guided tour (or an app that could explain things) would be a nice addition to this place.

Oscar

Google

The Norman chapel is a must see, but that's about the only point of interest. The Royal rooms from the 19th century are OK. Despite having a wonderful history, they don't really explain any of it. You can't appreciate the whole castle either, as only a few interior rooms are shown. I guess this is the reason why they sell a single ticket to see all, rather than the chapel alone, as they do in the cathedral. By the way, after a 19€ entrance fee, they still charge extra to use the toilets 🙃.

Jim R.

Yelp

A must see on any visit to Palermo, especially for the awe inspiring Palatine chapel and its golden mosaics covering the soaring walls. You'll spend most of your visit in the chapel but some of the other rooms where the ancient Spanish and Norman kings resided are also worth a peek as is the small botanical garden. We visited during COVID so masks were required as was proof of vaccination (aka green pass) and we had wo all through a sanitizing mist following the metal detectors to enter. Timed tickets in advance are needed

John F.

Yelp

In all likelihood the top attraction in Palermo. The royal apartments with their Bourbon era furniture are lovely but the big draw is the capella with its absolutely astounding Norman/Byzantine mosaics. An absolute must for visitors to Palermo.