Before William of Normandy invaded England in 1066 and claimed his throne, other Normans had successfully crossed Europe into the Italian peninsula and created their own state in the south.

The Normans, who all were descendants of the Vikings, conquered southern Italy and Sicily establishing a kingdom that would last over seven hundred years through multiple dynasties. Beginning in the 11th and well into the 13th century, the Norman Kingdom of Sicily with its capital in Palermo was sophisticated, cosmopolitan, tolerant and produced great culture for the world of their time.

The Normans succeeded in blending the ancient Greek, Byzantine, Arab and Christian cultures into one of the most successful experiments of what we call today “a melting pot”.

The prelude highlights Sicily’s surviving cultural monuments, the most scenic and historic sites along with music and art of the exceptional island folklore. The one hour presentation brings to life the magnificent saga of the Normans as they encountered the complex antiquity of the Mediterranean worlds and became the leaders of a new fusion of cultures which can still be experienced today.