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The Zisa is located just outside the old city centre of Palermo, about 1 km to the west of the Palazzo dei Normanni.
Construction started shortly before the death the Norman king William I in 1166, and was finished shortly after by his successor William II. It was intended as a summer residence and for recreational purposes. The Zisa remained in royal hands for centuries but wasn't used by the royals after Palermo ceased to be the capital. The Zisa with the surrounding territory was consequently endowed to a series of noblemen, until it finally passed into private hands at the end of the 15th century. The palace fell into disuse and decay.
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