Zisa Palace

The Zisa (Italian: [ˈdziːza], Sicilian: [ˈtsiːsa]) is a grand 12th-century Norman hunting lodge and summer palace in the western area of Palermo, in the region of Sicily, Italy. The edifice was started around 1165 by Arab craftsmen under the rule of the Norman conqueror of Sicily, king William I. It was not finished until 1189, under the rule of William II. It is presently open to the public for tours.

The name Zisa derives from the Arabic term al-ʿAzīza (العزيزة), meaning 'the Dear one' or 'the Splendid one'. The same word, in Naskh script, is impressed in the entrance, according to the usual habit for the main Islamic edifices of the time. The structure was conceived as a summer residence for the Norman kings, as a part of the large hunting resort known as Genoardo (Arabic: جنة الأرض, romanized: Jannat al-Arḍ, lit. 'Earthly Paradise') that included also the Cuba Sottana, the Cuba Soprana and the Uscibene palace, and extensive gardens, of which no traces remain. Joan of England, widow of William II, was once confined to the palace by the new king Tancred of Sicily due to her backing Princess Constance aunt of William II to ascend the throne.

At the end of the 15th century the building fell into disrepair while in private hands. In 1635, a new owner, Giovanni de Sandoval, cousin to the Viceroy of Sicily, acquired the palace for free due to its poor state. The palace remained in the hands of the Sandoval family until 1808, when it eventually fell again to ruin. From 1808 to the 1950s the building was used a residence by the princes Notarbartolo di Sciara. In the 1990s, the building was picked up for restoration by the Region of Sicily. In July 2015 it was included in the UNESCO Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale World Heritage Site.

ウィキペディア「Zisa, Palermo」より引用、CC BY-SA 4.0。

Zisa Palaceは、アトラスの城の知名度ランキングで世界800位（全3,734件中）、イタリアの294件では56位にランクされています。約1165年に創建され、アトラスの年代判明済みの城の84%より古い城です（12世紀に創建されたアトラス収録の225件のひとつ）。イタリアが他とどう比べられるかは、城の統計をご覧ください。

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