Tom Klobe Collection: Cappella Palatina
The central ceiling of the Cappella Palatina in Palermo, Sicily was constructed and painted between 1140 and 1143, followed by the side aisle ceilings that were completed by 1180. The Norman king Roger II (r. 1130–1154) built the chapel.
The Cappella Palatina represents the visual amalgamation of three distinct cultures. It combines a Latin basilica plan with a Byzantine central plan where the domed sanctuary and the walls of the nave and aisles are covered with Byzantine mosaics, but the ceilings of the nave and aisles are distinctly Islamic.
Accompanying diagrams indicate the location of the photographs on the ceilings. Click to view the full sized image.
