A flash of light that illuminates your eyes, an explosion of gold inside a snug environment that leaves you speechless: this is what the Palatina Chapel of Palermo means to me, or rather the private chapel of the Norman royal family.

The chapel, in fact, is included in the complex of the Normans Royal Palace, the "Northern men" from Normandy, who dominated the South between the first and second century of the 1000s.

During the Norman dynasty, Palermo was enriched with a series of city structures that make it so attractive and visited by tourists today. Since 2015, the palace has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

The chapel is accessed by going up one of the stairs of the building, from the porch on the first floor of the structure. Visitors are welcomed at the entrance in the lateral part of the right nave, a "strategic" position to admire at first the church in a broad overview, in its golden mosaics, in the carved roofs, in the columns and in the arches that accompany the structural geometries in a smooth dance that sweetens the visual field within a so rich in color and details background.

Once entered and gone to the right, you approach the part of the altar and your gaze immediately turns upwards, in the direction of the central apse and the dome, these also gilded and dominated by the figure of Christ Pantocrator, in the typical representation with the right hand raised and blessing.

And with the observation of this majestic "corner" that for the spectator begins a journey towards cultures, so far away and so alive and present in front of the eyes at the same time.

I will not describe some details of the chapel or parts of the building as it could be found in an art history book or in a guide of Palermo riches: to those who read I would rather convey a personal and emotional point of view, of a local visitor who rediscovers something new during each visit.

 

Although every detail of the chapel is unique and full of meaning, what really strikes me and that passes me that feeling of wonder typical of each entrance, is the overall panorama generated by the distinct peculiarity of each element: gilded mosaics that cover the walls and apses, marble floors and precious stone decorations, roof worked with particular carvings and geometric shapes that recreate an Arab wood texture, Greek and Latin inscriptions, scenes represented in the drawings that tell distant stories. And as much as you stop to admire a part, you feel the uncontrollable call from the others that surround you and that lead you to continually turn around as if you were dancing. It does not mean absentmindedly looking, it does not mean not taking care of the particular: it means going back and forth over the same decorative element and looking for a new meaning at every glance; it means opening up to a timeless beauty, difficult to trace in our daily hectic lives; it means letting yourself be carried away by a story that shows up in front of us and that tells us about our ancestors care and dedication to their places of life enrichment.

And then, when you arrived at the left aisle and you are about to go out, new questions you feel arise inside you and the desire to look again at that golden glow you are leaving behind, turns into the certainty of your return.