The Zisa Palace: between history and mystery.

In our beloved Sicily there are many cities worthy of attention: rich in history, monuments, museums, villages now inhabited and now abandoned, but what surrounds our sunny island, and which attracts thousands of national and international tourists every year, it is that veiled and at the same time elaborated aura of mystery. And, almost naturally, where does this dense network of intrigues, secrets, legends, loves made of passion and betrayals branch off? In the hundreds of castles present throughout the Sicilian soil and which cannot fail to be part of your itinerary to discover Sicily.

Among those already covered, we remind you: the Ursino Castle, of Carini, of Caccamo, of Calatubo, of Milazzo and of Sperlinga. In short, we have a castle for every taste and for every corner, province and hamlet of Southern Italy. And among all these, how can we not mention the Zisa Palace located in the wonderful province of Palermo and better known by the inhabitants as the Zisa Castle.

The Palace is one of the Arab-Norman masterpieces of the capital which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. It was conceived as the summer residence of the Kings and the story began with the great Count Ruggero and his descendants with the intention of creating an ideal landscape and continued with the Altavillas who built their "sollazzi regi" or abodes of leisure and rest.
It was precisely between 1165 and 1180 that William I called il malo (a work continued by his son William II) had this imposing residence erected because he was eager for a palace that would surpass those built by his father Roger II.

The Zisa is horizontally distributed in three elevations and the main front, facing north-east and therefore towards the sea to take advantage of the refreshing sea breeze, shows three large arches of which the central one uses the Sandoval family coat of arms.
The ground floor of the building consists of a long internal vestibule onto which the large Sala della Fontana opens in the centre, in which the sovereign received his court, and a series of service areas to the sides. The first floor is smaller in size and was one of the residential areas of the building most likely intended for women. The second floor consisted of a large central atrium, a belvedere room and two residential units. This floor had to fulfil the function of a private summer resort.

Interesting is the legend that surrounds the fresco in the entrance arch to the Sala della Fontana (the Fountain Room) in which mythological creatures are depicted. According to the Palermo tradition, these are devils who keep gold coins hidden inside the Zisa Palace by Azel Comel and El-Aziz, who arrived in Palermo after fleeing to protect their love thwarted by her father. The myth has it that whoever tries to count the exact number of devils fails due to their continuous mixing or how, on the day of the Annunziata (March 25th), whoever stares at the devils of the Zisa for too long at a certain point they will see them wagging their tails or twisting their mouths.

And if the Zisa Palace weren't enough, Palermo certainly has an infinite number of monuments and history to offer you as well as being an excellent starting point for visiting the jewels of this part of Sicily such as Monreale or, towards the west, the marvellous beaches of Scopello (lo Zingaro) and San vito lo Capo about 40 minutes by car, the mediaeval Erice, the salt pans of Trapani, the island of Mozia and the Egadi islands, the wine cellars of Marsala just over an hour by car , towards the east the ruins of Solunto, Cefalù at 1 hour by car. To the south Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples, Eraclea Minoa and Scala dei Turchi. And how not to stay in one of our fantastic luxury villas with swimming pools?

Limonaia: With a park within the property of 3000 square metres, in a fairly quiet area of ​​the fantastic Mondello, this splendid villa with a modern and Mediterranean taste is born. Its exquisite private swimming pool of 50 square metres is ready to give you moments of peace and freshness even in the hottest hours that enrich the Sicilian days. Its large and shady patio, adorned with armchairs and sofas, will give you great moments of carefree sharing whether you are with family or friends.

Lilla: Just 350 m from the famous beach of Mondello, this elegant residence is born with a well-kept garden of 1500 square metres and a Mediterranean taste in which there is a magnificent private swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, ficus and banana trees. Despite the proximity to one of the most popular beaches for international tourism, the property will give you moments of peace and privacy while immersed in the colours and scents of our beautiful Sicily.