Norman architecture in Sicily developed in’ island during the period of domination of the Normans, who replaced its centralized power to the territorial control of the emirs from 1060 and made it a reign (from 1130), passed then to the dynasty Swabian in 1194.
Influences
The Arab-Norman architecture in Sicily was inspired by different contributions:
all ‘ Romanesque architecture, which was developed from the tenth century in the former lands of the conquerors and which characterizes plant and general appearance of churches and monasteries new foundation;
to the Byzantine art, dominant in the occupied territory, from which come in particular the inspirations for the mosaic decorations and the buildings with a central plan;
to the Arab architecture, whose presence in Sicily before the Norman intervention was only supposed, but whose source from which the new architects drew were the architectures and styles of Fatimid Egypt and North Africa, directly or through the Byzantine world, for decorative elements and regal palaces.
Other elements, such as the frequent references to classical antiquity, are due to the mediation of the three cited styles and the presence of a rich architectural heritage, often exploited as a reserve of material for new buildings.
These different influences, however, were merged into an original language and created a purely Sicilian architecture, which continued in part in the subsequent Swabian period.
Norman architecture in Sicily is distinguished in three periods:
the county period (1061 – 1130)
the period of the reign (1130 – 1154)
the guglielmina age (1154 – 1195).
Buildings
The triabsidate churches, mostly deriving from the prototype of the abbey of Cluny, had a Latin cross plan and a facade flanked by towers. The first examples, not well preserved, are represented by the first phase of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior of Mazara del Vallo (1086 – 1093) rebuilt in the seventeenth century, from that of the cathedral of Sant’Agata in Catania (1086 – 1091, partly destroyed from an earthquake in 1169), and from that of the Messina cathedral(rebuilt and consecrated in 1197), while the characteristics of the cathedral of Cefalù (built between 1131 and 1267) and of the cathedral of Monreale (begun in 1174) are more recognizable.
The relationship with Byzantine architecture is most evident in the centric plant and in the decoration of buildings mistakenly considered minor: in Palermo the churches of San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi (1072), of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (1142 – 1148), and of San Cataldo (1154), while the church of the Martorana (“Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio”, of 1143) and the Palatine Chapel (1130 – 1143). The rich mosaic decoration is inspired by the Byzantine and Cassinesi iconographic modelsof the interior shows an independent development of the Sicilian art school. The epigraphic crenellated coronamentinesterni bands (written in Arabic and rarely in Greek) resume an Islamic custom, but are used by the Sicilian Norman sovereigns to affirm their concept of ecumenism.
The royal residences must be distinguished between: palaces – donjons reworking Anglo Norman models, and palaces – solatia that syncretize models and climate technologies that are purely Islamic, with Byzantine contributions. The Palazzo dei Normanni of Palermo, which was a center of power and administration, combines the functions of representation and defense within its towers. The construction techniques of the central rooms of the “Torre Pisana” recall both the rooms (halls) of the traditional Norman noble residences (donjons), and the Byzantine center rooms perimetrated by walkers and covered with domes; Comparisons with the Qasr al Manâr of the Qal’a (Algerian residence Ziris of the eleventh century), they are only apparent because the latter construction had quite different internal functions and structures.
The palace with the extra-urban lake of Maredolce (Parco della Favara), whose primitive nucleus is attributed to the emir Giafar al-Kalbi II ruling between 998 and 1019, was built entirely by Roger II, (with heavy expenses, excavations and pipes) with rooms covered in rib vault, arranged on three sides of a courtyard, served by arcades with a provision that the Arabs had taken from villas in peristyle Roman.
The equally suburban residence of the Zisa, built by King William Iand completed by his son William II, presents a new mixture of Arab and Norman elements: the rooms, four cells on two levels, beyond the ground floor, are made (as in the Norman residences), from a reception room with alcove or camara : they are organized around a central nucleus, as in Islamic residences. The ground floor room has a system of fountains and floor drainage channels able to generate and cool the drafts in it conveyed by the ventilation pipes. The channels channel the water towards a fish pond with a central pavilion, in the front garden. The open relationship between the interior and exterior of the building excludes the erroneous defensive function (castle) commonly attributed to it.
Similar features are the hunting pavilion of the Palace of Cuba, part of the ” sollatia”, places of pleasure, built in 1180 by King William II. In the same system of parks there was another smaller building: “La Cuba Soprana”, inside of Villa Napoli) with a garden with a domed pavilion.
The geometric structure of these buildings presents cubic shapes harmoniously composed with geometrical criteria, and embellished with refined Byzantine-style mosaic decorations, and refined epigraphs with Islamic characters, which praise the Christian kings of Sicily. Symbolize the high artistic social cultural syncretism born in Sicily in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
The most significant examples
The buildings in Sicily, which have not undergone significant transformations in later periods:
In Palermo :
the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (1142 – 1148)
the Church of San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi (Palermo)
the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena (Palermo)
the Chapel of the SS. Trinità alla Zisa (Palermo)
the Church of Santa Cristina La Vetere (Palermo)
the Church of San Cataldo (1154)
the Church of the Martorana (“Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio”, from 1143)
Basilica of the Holy Trinity of the Chancellor
the Palatine Chapel (1130 – 1140)
Palazzo dei Normanni
the residence of Maredolce
La Zisa
Cuba
Cubula (Palermo)
Palazzo Scibene (Palermo)
the Admiral’s Bridge
In Cefalù:
the cathedral of Cefalù (1131 – 1267)
Enna
Castle of Lombardy
In Erice :
The Norman Castle or Castello di Venere
Church of San Giuliano
In Monreale :
the cathedral of Monreale (begun in 1174)
In Mazara del Vallo :
Church of San Nicolò Regale
Church of the Madonna delle Giummare
Norman Arch
In Castelvetrano :
the Church of the Holy Trinity of Delia
Churches in the province of Messina :
Church of Saints Peter and Paul of Agrò near Casalvecchio Siculo
Church of San Pietro at Itala
Palatine Chapel of Montalbano Elicona
In Sciacca :
Church of San Nicolò la Latina
In Caltanissetta :
Abbey of the Holy Spirit
In Catania :
Cathedral of Sant’Agata, whose original building remains mainly the presbyteral area (transept and apses)
In Messina :
Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani
Church of Santa Maria della Valle
San Marco d’Alunzio
Norman Church of the Holy Savior
In San Fratello :
Sanctuary of the Three Saints
In Bronte :
Norman bridge
In Syracuse :
Church of San Nicolò ai Cordari
Castles built by the Normans:
Norman castle of Nicosia
Norman Castle of Milazzo
Norman castle of Adrano
Castle of Aci of Aci Castello
Norman dungeon of Motta Sant’Anastasia
Norman Castle of Caronia
Buildings partly in Norman style
Cathedral of Sciacca
Cathedral of San Gerlando in Agrigento
Mother Church of Caltabellotta
Cathedral of Naro
Church of Santa Caterina a Naro
Mother Church of Troina
Church of Sant’Andrea in Piazza Armerina
Bridge of the Saracens Adrano
Church of San Giovanni to the catacombs Syracuse
Frazzanò Convent of San Filippo di Fragala
Norman Castle of Paternò
Sperlinga Castle of Sperlinga
Abbey of Santa Maria del Bosco in Contessa Entellina
Source from Wikipedia