About Sicily

Unknown Sicily: The Chamber of Wonders

Last Sunday we were in Palermo and visited the “chamber of wonders” la camera delle meraviglie. Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you our experience. Visits are occasional and only for groups and by reservation. This is because it is a private house.

A Hidden Gem in Palermo

In the heart of Palermo, Albergheria district, inside a house, there is one of the most mysterious and fascinating rooms in the world. Its recent discovery dates back to 2003, when the Cadili/Giarrusso family who live there, accidentally glimpsed, in the sunlight, a part of a decoration with Arab motifs.

A World-Wide Curiosity

Immediately, the news aroused curiosity around the world. Initially, it was thought to be a mosque, but with time it was concluded that it was the home of a wealthy merchant of Arab origin between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Deciphering the Inscriptions

After more than a year of studies, it was established that the writings were not only decorative but evocative. The larger inscriptions evoke the “tughras” and are present as invocations to keep negative forces away from the room. The repeated epigraph is one of the maxims of the prophet Muhammad: «God be Praised, nothing is like Him», and inside hides another in Latin: “Recto lucet” “Shining with righteousness”. A message that embraces the Muslim and Christian worlds.

Spiritual and Musical Elements

The paintings of the lamps on the ceiling also have a spiritual meaning, they would be the conceptualization of the sūra of light in the Koran. The existence of a musical element has even been detected. Thanks to a visitor, who found the sequence of notes between the round letters. The sequence, in Sol, Sol, Re, Sol, Mi, Fa, Mi, Fa, Fa, Re, Mi, Sol, has the particularity of being able to be read and played both from left to right and vice versa, from which a melody has been composed.

A Thankful Tribute

We thank the spouses, Cadili and Giarrusso, for their sensitivity, taste for beauty, and dedication. Without their intuition, this treasure chest of beauty would have been hidden forever or destroyed.