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The Halls of the

Royal Palace

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The Viceroys’ Hall

The Hall takes its name from the 21 portraits hanging on its walls, depicting viceroys, lieutenants, and presidents of the Bourbon Kingdom of Sicily. Among the prominent figures portrayed are Domenico Caracciolo di Villamaina, who abolished the Inquisition tribunal in 1782, and Francesco D’Aquino, Prince of Caramanico, under whose mandate the Astronomical Observatory was established in 1790 on the Pisan Tower of the Royal Palace.

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Chinese Hall

This room, painted by brothers Salvatore and Giovanni Patricolo, reflects the widespread trend among nearly all European courts between the 18th and 19th centuries, which favored Orientalist themes. These themes echoed those already present in the Casina Cinese, located within the Favorita Park. In the hall, men and women are depicted dressed in traditional “Chinese-style” clothing, showcasing a refined appreciation for the Oriental world. Against a blue background, mountain landscapes can also be seen.

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Pompeian Hall

This space is part of the so-called Pompeian Gallery, commissioned by Leopoldo of Bourbon, Lieutenant of Sicily from 1830 to 1835. The hall, set against a greenish-blue background, was decorated around 1830 by Giuseppe Patania in the neoclassical style. It features mythological scenes inspired by the archaeological discoveries of Herculaneum and Pompeii, including, at the center of the ceiling, Eros and Aphrodite on a chariot.

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The Hall of the Winds

It is one of the most evocative spaces in the Royal Palace. Located in a medieval tower from the Arab-Norman core, known as the Joharia and facing King Roger’s Hall, it is now covered by an 18th-century wooden ceiling, at the center of which stands out a striking wind rose.

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The Hall of Hercules

The Hall of Hercules has been the meeting place of the deputies of the Sicilian Regional Assembly since 1947. It takes its name from the paintings depicting the mythological hero Hercules, a cycle completed at the beginning of the 19th century by the artist Giuseppe Velasco (known as “Il Velasquez”). The Regional Parliament (ARS) exercises the legislative power established by the Sicilian Autonomy Statute and is recognized as the first Italian parliament and one of the oldest in Europe.

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King Ruggero Hall

It is named after Roger II. The stunning mosaic decorations are attributed to his son, William I. The mosaics, with a secular origin, are unique in their depiction of phytomorphic, zoomorphic, and anthropomorphic elements (hunting scenes and allegorical emblems of Norman power). Everything suggests the presence of themes dear to the Norman rulers and a symbolic narrative of the Genoard, a paradise garden rooted in Islamic tradition.

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FEDERICO II FOUNDATION
VAT Number: IT04651480826
Tax Code: 97133160826
Municipality: PALERMO

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