The era of Norman power in Sicily, starting in the 11th century, produced a series of stunning artistic and cultural landmarks, concentrated in the area surrounding the capital, Palermo. On this new tour based in the city, historian Professor Jonathan Phillips will reveal churches, palaces and castles with a unique combination of Arabic, Byzantine and Latin influences, providing an insight into how these northern European warlords settled, survived and flourished at the heart of the mediaeval Mediterranean. The Normans oversaw phenomenal creative peak in art and architecture, and we will see spectacular mosaics in Monreale and Cefalù, dramatic fortifications at Erice and royal palaces and tombs in Palermo.