An Islamic-era palace that stood on an island in a lake, now swallowed by the housing of Brancaccio.
Distance
Area
Brancaccio
Visit
40 min
Entry
Free entry
The story
Built in the 10th century by the emir Ja'far and reused by the Normans as a royal retreat, the complex stood at the centre of a large artificial lake fed by the Favara springs. Substantial wall sections, a chapel and traces of the hydraulic system survive. Restoration, supported by the FAI, has recovered the lake perimeter as a park. A difficult urban setting, but a site of exceptional historical interest.