Zisa Castle: Entry Ticket

Additional Information & Description

Zisa Castle brings an unusual detail of palace design into focus: an ancient form of air-conditioning. Inside this Islamic palace in Palermo, Sicily, cooling was already part of the architecture centuries before modern systems. It is a concrete reason to look beyond the castle’s exterior and explore the building itself.

A 12th-century palace with an Arabic name

The name Zisa comes from the Arabic word aziz, meaning “magnificent”. The palace dates to the 12th century and forms part of Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale. This group comprises nine civic and religious buildings along Sicily’s northern coast. Zisa is one of those nine: a palace through which to explore the architectural heritage represented by the wider group, rather than a church or cathedral.

Castle entry with an audio guide

The ticket includes access to Zisa Castle and a downloadable digital audio guide in English and Italian. You can enter the palace and use the commentary to accompany your visit, adding a listening element to what you see inside. The guide gives you a choice of two languages within the same ticket; select the one you prefer for your exploration of the castle.

Location and digital ticket

Zisa Castle is at Piazza Zisa in Palermo. Tickets are delivered instantly, and smartphone tickets are accepted, so you can present your admission ticket on your phone when you arrive.