Le "Segrete" e la Chiesa Inferiore del Palazzo Reale di Palermo. Nuove osservazioni sulla stratigrafia degli alzati

The Cappella Palatina in Palermo is one of the most emblematic and well-studied monuments of the medieval Mediterranean world. Nevertheless, the immediate palatial surroundings of the building have never been properly charted and studied, despite the fact that this is essential to an understanding of the original functions and configurations of the Cappella Palatina. Indeed, the functional, archaeological and structural relations between the Cappella Palatina, and founded by king Roger II Hauteville, the lower church or crypt that lies beneath the Palatina, the rooms beside them and the adjoining medieval structures surviving on the North side and called ‘Segrete,’ are still unclear. Recently, an archaeological survey and preliminary stratigraphy have been performed on the above mentioned area within the project ‘Valorizzazione e fruizione del Palazzo Reale di Palermo’ (2014-2015). Beside the scrutiny of sources and literature, the survey has been carried out also through archaeometric analysis on construction materials. Thanks to these analyses, it is possible to formulate new hypotheses on the relative chronology of construction phases and on the relation between the two ecclesiastical building – the lower and the upper churches. These are indeed attributable to the same stage of works performed at the behest of the Norman king in the 30’s of the twelfth century.