Palazzo della Cuba (Cuba Palace), Palermo

The Cuba Palace (Palazzo della Cuba) is a historic recreational palace located in Palermo. Built in 1180 by King William II of Sicily, the palace was a part of the Sollazzi Regi, a group of Norman royal pleasure palaces within William II's expansive Royal Park, known as "Paradise on Earth". The name "Cuba" likely comes from its cube-like shape or the Arabic "Qubba," meaning dome, indicative of Fatimid art influences from Arab artists in the Palermo post-Norman conquest. The palace mirrors Palermo's Zisa Palace, displaying similar architectural and artistic styles.

Constructed predominantly from limestone brick, the Cuba Palace measures 31.15 meters in length and 16.80 meters in width. Its design includes four tower-shaped facades that project from the center of each side, with the largest facade historically serving as the main access point from the mainland. The structure is adorned with ogival arches and a cornice inscribed with Arabic calligraphy, while a large dome dominates the central area.

Internally, the palace was originally divided into three large, aligned rooms connected without any private spaces, typical of public or semi-public buildings of the era. The central room featured a marble fountain, designed not only as a decorative element but also to cool the environment, connected to the exterior pool via an underground passageway. The interior also highlighted muqarnas decorations, adding to the complex aesthetic derived from Islamic architecture.

Cuba has had various roles throughout its history. Originally a royal site, it was used as a quarantine station during the 1576-1621 plague and later became part of a military barracks under the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was nationalized in 1921 and transferred to the Regione Siciliana. Restoration in the 1980s focused on preserving its 12th-century architecture, leading to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, together with other Arab-Norman sites in Palermo, Cefalù, and Monreale.

Today, the Cuba Palace stands as a testament to the cultural and architectural fusion that characterizes much of Sicily’s Norman heritage, attracting visitors interested in the historical and artistic significance of this unique structure.