Palermo, start of the restoration of the mosaics of the Palatine Chapel

Work will begin in Palermo in the coming days to restore the precious mosaics of the Palatine Chapel, a jewel of Norman art and architecture located inside the Royal Palace. The work, designed and supervised by the Palermo Superintendency of Cultural Heritage, will involve securing and preserving the mosaic apparatus and valuable surfaces. Financed by the Ministry of the Interior’s Religious Buildings Fund to the tune of 1.1 million euros, the restoration is part of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry and the Sicilian Region and will last a total of 365 days.

At the official handover of the work, which took place this morning, the main institutions involved were present. Among those present were the president of the Sicilian Regional Assembly Gaetano Galvagno, Palermo Prefect Massimo Mariani, Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, Palermo Superintendent Selima Giuliano and Monsignor Michele Polizzi, pastor of the Chapel. Also present was Elvira Boglione, representative of the contractor Lithos Restauri of Venice, which will perform the work.

“We are proud to offer the expertise and professionalism of the designers of our regional administration for the recovery of one of Palermo’s most beautiful architectural assets,” says Sicilian Regional President Renato Schifani. “Thanks to an important interinstitutional collaboration, it will be possible to protect and enhance even more a monument that is a symbol of Sicily’s history and art, known throughout the world.”

“I welcome with immense pleasure the news of the start of the work of securing and conservative control of the Palatine Chapel. This is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site,” stresses Ars and Fondazione Federico II President Gaetano Galvagno, “but it represents a monument to be preserved. It is therefore our duty to hand it over to future generations in the best possible condition. Located within the architectural complex of the splendid Royal Palace, home to the oldest Parliament in Europe, the Palatine Chapel is visited every year by thousands of tourists and scholars. I am certain that, thanks to the project drawn up by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Palermo, in a year’s time we will again be lucky enough to admire, in all its original splendor, the magnificence of the Siculo-Norman style basilica. A jewel that the whole world envies us.”

“The work that is about to be undertaken, financed by the Ministry of the Interior’s Worship Buildings Fund,” points out Palermo Prefect Massimo Mariani, “constitutes a major restoration project, which will help to further preserve and enhance the splendid mosaic decorations of the Palatine Chapel, one of the most attractive elements of the Arab-Norman route, of exceptional historical and artistic value.”

“My warmest applause,” adds Cultural Heritage Councillor Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, “goes to the Superintendency of Palermo, which, once again, has shown commitment and self-sacrifice in putting in place the high surveillance and all the phases related to the project.”

A delicate and necessary conservative intervention

The intervention stems from the need to stop the deterioration threatening the Chapel’s splendid mosaics and artistic surfaces made of stone material and glass paste. Although some restoration work has already been carried out in recent times, technical investigations have revealed worrying forms of deterioration. The project, based on criteria of compatibility and reversibility while respecting the historical and artistic value of the building, includes targeted solutions to address the critical issues that have emerged. Microclimatic and microbiological controls will be carried out, with the introduction of new air monitoring and filtering systems to stabilize the indoor environment. The planned measures also include a renewed lighting system, the application of carpets to reduce dust accumulation, and structured interventions to ensure the public usability of the Chapel without compromising the delicacy of its artistic heritage.

Detailed technical documentation will accompany all phases of the restoration, thanks to an accurate photographic and documentary campaign, which will make it possible to archive the state of the artifacts before, during and after the intervention. The goal is not only to halt the deterioration process, but also to ensure a planned maintenance program that will protect the cultural asset over time.

The Palatine Chapel: a symbol of cultural syncretism

The Palatine Chapel, consecrated on April 28, 1140, represents one of the most extraordinary examples of cultural and artistic syncretism in Norman Palermo. It was built at the behest of Roger II between 1130 and 1132 as a private chapel of the Royal Palace and dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle. The basilican structure, with three naves, immediately reveals the perfect union of the three cultures that coexisted on the island at that time: Latin, Byzantine and Islamic.

Onion marble and granite columns, salvaged from pre-existing buildings, divide the space into three sections. The wooden ceiling, the work of Islamic Fatimite craftsmen, is one of the most fascinating elements: carved and decorated with muqarnas motifs, it features twenty eight-pointed stars shining in the darkness of the nave. The floor, made with the cosmatesque opus sectile technique, stands out for the refinement of the materials used, fine marbles cut into geometric shapes of rare elegance.

The mosaics, the true focus of the entire decoration, are composed of lithic and glass paste tesserae. They were executed in different historical phases and cover every corner of the Chapel, telling through images and symbols the essence of Norman culture. Over the centuries, various restoration works have modified and preserved parts of the complex, especially in the chancel area. Nevertheless, the wear and tear of time has made the current intervention essential.

Palermo, start of the restoration of the mosaics of the Palatine Chapel

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