Cuba Palace

The Cuba (Sicilian: La Cuba) is a recreational palace in the Sicilian city of Palermo, originally part of the Sollazzi Regi group of Norman palaces. It was built in 1180 by William II of Sicily in his Royal Park, together with an artificial lake. The name Cuba derives either from its cubical form, or the Arabic Qubba, "dome". It is an imitation of the Zisa palace. It is also called "Cuba sottana" to distinguish it from the Cubula, or Little Cuba, a small pavilion built by William II for the Genoardo park. The Cuba shows strong Fatimid art influences, as it was (at least partially) designed by Arab artists still living in Palermo after the Norman conquest. The Hauteville family conquered Sicily in 1070 with the capture of Palermo by Robert Guiscard. The Cuba was built in 1180 for King William II, in the center of a large park called Jannat al-ard ("Paradise on earth"), or Genoardo. The Genoardo also included the Cuba soprana and the Cubula, and formed part of the Sollazzi Regi, a circuit of Norman court palaces located around Palermo. The original use of the Cuba was recreational; the man-made pool served as a natural air-cooling system, for resting during the hottest hours or attending parties and ceremonies in the evening.