Cappella Palatina, Palermo

This royal chapel within the Norman palace of Palermo is one of the supreme achievements of medieval Sicilian art, fusing Byzantine, Islamic and Latin traditions in a single dazzling interior. Its walls glow with golden mosaics depicting biblical scenes, while overhead a carved wooden ceiling in the muqarnas style reflects the skill of Muslim craftsmen. Marble inlays and columns line the nave, and the whole space seems to shimmer in the dim light, embodying the cosmopolitan culture of Norman Sicily.