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When the Normans ousted the Saracen forces from Sicily in 1090, however, there was to be no obliteration of all things Arabic. Indeed, the men from the north were hugely impressed by what they found, and rather than destroying Arabic culture, they embraced it.
Many institutions were retained, Islam was tolerated, and Saracen landowners were allowed to keep their estates. North African habits were adopted by many Normans as they acclimatised to life in the middle of the Mediterranean. Souks prospered, cool Arabic internal courtyards were de rigueur and many Normans, including some of the sovereigns themselves, lived more like Emirs than like knights.
Where the fusion of cultures really stood out, however, is in the architecture. Palermo was the capital of Sicily under both the Arabs and the Normans, and it is here that the new architectural style was mostly forged.
The Normans were eclectic, and their fascination with Arabic architecture was matched only by their passion for Byzantine mosaics. They expanded, altered and added to many existing buildings, and, as often as not, used Arab craftsmen for the work.
The Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo, is a prime example of this. Originally an Arab Castle, the Normans turned it into a palace fit for a King, adding towers, levels and, most famously, the Capella Palatina, a delightfully ornate chapel that was completed in 1143 by Roger II. Its basilica layout is home to rich golden mosaics, redolent of Byzantium, wooden Arabic honey-combed ceilings, Saracen arches and arabesque flourishes.
The Cathedral of Monreale, built in 1174 is another supreme example of this style. The Norman facade gives way to large expanses of glittering Byzantine mosaics and Islamic decorative art that covers all available wall and floor space. The adjoining cloisters are also decorated in Arabic style, and once more, North African craftsmen were largely responsible for the work.
Other buildings in Palermo were even more obviously influenced by Arabic architecture. The churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and San Cataldo, for example, are crowned with a series of red domes mounted on cubic towers, an evident reference to the Arabs’ preoccupation with squaring the circle. The Zisa, built by William I, and the Cuba, built by his son William II, were evidently inspired by Fatimid period buildings in Cairo.
While these are all in Palermo, there are many other splendid examples throughout the island, including Palazzo Corvaja in Taormina and the Duomo in Cefalu. Indeed, wherever you go, you might have a strange sensation that North Africa is rather closer than you had imagined...
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