Zisa Castle

Sicilia · Italien · Palace

The devils in the Zisa's vault fresco are said to guard an enchanted treasure – and whoever manages to count them breaks the spell.

The Arab-Norman pleasure palace of the Zisa in Palermo, begun in the 1160s, carries one of the city's best-loved mysteries. Legend tells that the sultan's son Azel Comel and his beloved El-Aziz fled here with her father's treasure, which after the couple's tragic deaths was hidden in the palace walls under an enchantment. In the vault by the Fountain Hall is a fresco of mythological figures that popular belief names as the treasure's demonic guardians – the devils of the Zisa. Anyone who tries to count them is said to get a different number each time, for the devils move and deceive; only one who counts correctly can break the spell and find the gold. In Palermo people still say "what are these, the devils of the Zisa?" when numbers refuse to add up.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Zisa Castle?

Zisa Castle liegt in Sicilia, Italien.