THE “ZISA” IN PALERMO

BIOCLIMATIC ASPECTS OF HIS ARCHITECTURE

Prof. Ing. ARMANDO LA PICA (*) - Arch. ADELAIDE PIGNATO (**)

University of Palermo - Faculty of Engineering -

Dipartimento di Energetica ed Applicazioni di Fisica (D.E.A.F.)
viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (I)

SUMMARY

Is here examined an ante litteram example of summer residence and bioclimatic architecture: the ancient
"castle of Zisa", near Palermo, meaningful work of Islamic-Norman character. The building is characterized
by external and internal walls of thick masonries, which developed a filter role between the indoor environ-
ment and the outside one by controlling temperature fluctuation and air, heat and light inlet. Bioclimatic as-
pects of the building have mainly been object of "intuitions". Only in recent times specific analysis were car-
ried out [11].
In the present paper the authors present the results of their studies on bioclimatic functions of the Zisa and
particularly on the concrete possibilities offered by the building to use at the best the summer breezes from
the sea. Is finally analyzed, on the basis of a more careful examination of the morphological characters of the
monument and on meteorological data scheduled at DEAF in 1999 summer-autumn, the function of two tow-
er-bodies that rise on the small and opposite fronts of the building.
Actual state of the knowledge attributes to them the function of "ventilation towers". The results of the
analysis of the authors make inconsistent such hypothesis and lead to a different interpretation, already con-
sidered by isolated researchers: they were chimney ducts of fireplaces.

1. 1. INTRODUCTION

The problem of the environment control to create favourable conditions to human necessi-
ties and activities is as ancient as the mankind. Through all its history the design of habita-
tion has mirrored the different solutions that every period has proposed to solve the perpet-
ual problem of assuring controlled indoor environment (micro-environment) in the interior
of a natural macro-environment too often beset by the adverse strength of cold, heat, wind,
water and by the sun [1].

In the present work is examined, as an ante-litteram example of summer residence and bio-
climatic architecture, the ancient castle of the Zisa (from the Arabic 'al-aziz = noble, shin-
ing, glorious), meaningful work of Arab-Islamic character built up at the beginnings of the
XII century (fig. 1). The building holds a notable importance as it is one of the few exam-
ples of Norman civil architecture with elements of Arab-Islamic character and Byzantian
culture, but also because it had been conceived according to the most refined Islamic tech-
niques of free cooling [2].

Contemporary to the building was the construction of an annexed royal chapel: the SS
 2

Trinità church, that was altered by superstructures and, at the beginning of the XIX centu-
ry, was incorporated in Jesus’ , Maria’s and St. Stefano’s church [2]. The building had little
or no maintenance up to 1635 when was granted charge free, because of its very bad condi-
tions, to Giovanni de Sandoval who introduced modification that stopped the state of ruin
but deeply altered the image and the original structure of the construction. He added,
among other things, a new building body on the coverage storey, back set in comparison
with the façades, which completely covered and shut up the tree original open atria set at
the second floor. In the 1809 the Sandoval family died out, then the Zisa passed to Fran-
cesco Notarbartolo and Pilo, prince of Sciara, who maintained the possession of it up to
1951, when the family was dispossessed and the Zisa was assigned to State property (Re-
gional property).

Figure 1: View by south - east – Image of archives, 1895

The original shape and of the building is documented by the help of the data observed dur-
ing the repairs made in recent years and by the description of the dominican monk Leandro
Alberti dated 1526, before the transformations introduced by the Sandovals in 1636 [3] .

The first works of repair began in 1952; they were interrupted in 1958 and restarted in
1966, but again paralysed in the same year. On October 13th 1971 collapsed a big part of
the north wing, where the transformations made in the17th century by the Sandovals had
weakened the reactions of parametric walls to the thrust of the vaults and of the principal
arches. The charge to draw up the project of repairs was committed to Prof. Arch.
Giuseppe Caronia [2] . The subject immediately revealed itself to be vast and complex. To
start the project there was an important dilemma to solve: to reconstruct the collapsed parts
so reconfiguring the original spatiality or to limit oneself only to consolidate the parts sur-
viving. One solution or the other implied some basic choices on which an ample debate
was opened. In the end prevailed the decision, sustained by Prof. Caronia, to reconstruct
the monument restoring the ancient original volumes but preserving some elements of the
repairs operated in the 17th century.
 3

On the architectural plan the monument has been object, in the past and today, of numer-
ous studies of archaeologists and historians of art, also in order to enucleate the numerous
superfetations that have been there superimposed on it during the centuries.

The aspects connected to the bioclimatic function of the building have prevailingly been
object of “intuitions” deprived, up today, of any specific verification. With the present
work the authors introduce the results of a study on these bioclimatic functions of the Zisa.
Particularly on the concrete possibilities offered to the building to use at the best the sum-
mer breezes coming up from the sea.

On the basis of a more careful examination of the morphological characters of the monu-
ment and of the meteorological data collected at D.E.A.F., in the summer season of the
current year, it is finally analysed and interpreted the function of two tower bodies existing
on the small and opposite fronts of the building to which the knowledge has attributed, up
today, the function of “towers of ventilation”. The results of the analysis of the authors
make inconsistent such hypothesis and lead to a different interpretation, already advanced
from isolated researchers: they were “chimney ducts” for fireplaces.

2. 2. BIOCLIMATIC ANALYSIS

The building (fig. 1) presents itself like a massive rectangular construction (L=36,40;
B=19,60; H=25,70) developed on three levels. The longitudinal axis is north-south so to
offer the east principal front, looking on a peschiera-pond (pond whit fishes, no more in
use), to the sight and the effects of the sea from which originate the most temperate breez-
es, collected inside the building through three ample arches on the portico and through am-
ple windows at each floor. Such strategic design has allowed the building to use at the best
the external environment for the indoor climatic control and to manage in a dynamic way
heat and energy flows.

For the analysis of the energetic behaviour of the building have been here analysed the
choice of the site, the form, the external walls and the inside disposition, the climate of the
site [5] .

2.1 2.1 The site

Originally the building rose (fig. 2) inside the royal park of the Genoard (Gennet-el-ardhj
= heaven of the earth), surrounded by gardens and orchards and pleasant for the abundant
presence of waters, which have the function of creating a comfortable bioclimatic envi-
ronment.

In axis with the principal façade there was a peschiera-pond in the garden (see fig. 4)
with an island-pavillon reachable through a bridge, in which flowed water that gushed out
from a spring set on a niche in the rear wall of the fountain-room. The spring was proba-
bly supplied from a cistern, set in the big wall ta the back of the fountain [3] . Water
source was likely derived from a near “qanat” [= typical net of channels dug in the sub-
soil that intercepted and canalised the waters, at a rather low temperature (12/13°C), of
the wide the waters-bearing stratum under Palermo]. Flow of water in the peschiera-pond
 4

was continuous. Recent geologic prospectings [6] [ 7] found a qanat sufficiently close to the
Zisa to make reasonable such an hypothesis.

Figure 2: Palermo and the “Conca d’Oro” (years '40) - location of the Zisa and other sites

The presence of a wide water surface and of vegetation contributed to create beneficial
effects on the construction. A liquid pond has an higher specific heat in comparison to the
ground; so even if the surface is subject to the same solar radiation and absorption than
the ground, in summer it warms up much less. The pond is normally warmer in winter or
colder in summer; it is also usually colder in daytime and warmer in night.

In the case of the Zisa the proximity of the water pond moderated temperature variations
so attenuating the summer maxima. Moreover in diurnal behaviours, when earth is warm-
er than water, a close to ground stream of fresh air, coming from the sea, compensated the
ground warming. So during the day this breeze from the open sea had a refreshing effect
on principal side of the building, the east one, (residential rooms); at night being inverted
the direction of the breeze, form the mount to the sea, the effects were more efficacious
on the windward side, and therefore on the west side of the building, where the windows
are few and small.

The natural mantle of the ground introduced a further contribution. Vegetation and grassy
mantles, well irrigated, intercepting part of the solar radiation incident on the ground and
attenuating the night radiation, let therefore decrease air temperature and stabilized its
variations. The superficial evaporation introduced ulterior refreshment and benefit in the
particularly warm days of the dry scirocco (warm and dry wind from south-east frequent-
 5

ly occurring) [1] .

2.2 2.2 Morphology

The form of the building of the Zisa can be considered as a winning and strategic re-
source for the most appropriate use of the natural and free sources, useful for the amelio-
ration of climatic conditions.

Its typology presents some characteristics of the Fatimite north-Africans constructions,

that represent the highest level of evolution regarding the relationship between building
structure, environmental comfort and climatic conditions, such as:
• Height development (fig. 3);
• Employment, as construction material, of stone of heavy specific mass but at the
same time low thermal conductivity (sedimentary sandstone of sea origin with s.m.
around 1800 kg/m³);
• Big thickness of the outside walls and indoor partitions made;
• Compact volume (maximum ratio taken-volume versus delimiting-surfaces);
• A few and small outside openings on the façade exposed to solar arc,
• More wide openings on shaded sides in the or exposed to the fresh breezes;
• Maximum draught through indoor spaces thanks to openings of communication be-
tween the rooms and to openings made on the opposed fronts. [8] [9].

Figure 3: The Zisa - Longitudinal section from south to north (last repairs by Prof. G. Caronia, after 1971)
[N.B. the building body on the coverage storey added by the Sandovals is here omitted]

Each of these characteristics improved thermal comfort of the occupants. In fact a climat-
ic control is made possible by means of a rational shape and disposition of the openings
either outside or inside, placed in such a way to realise preferential air stream from the
lower part towards the higher one of the building, but mainly from the east front (sea
side) to the west front (mountain side).
 6

Fig. 4: The Zisa – Planimetry of ground floor with location of the “fountain room” and
of the “peschiera” pond (last repairs by Prof. G. Caronia, after 1971)

Fig.5: The Zisa - Planimetry of the first floor (last repairs by Prof. G. Caronia, after
1971)

On the principal façade (east, sea side, fig. 1 and fig. 4), at floor level, three big arches
dominate. The central one is greater and it reaches the height of the first floor. The three
arches appear designed to favour conveying of fresh breezes flow from the east side to-
wards the fountain room and from here, through the aeraulic connection done by the
grilled windows set in the upper part of the fountain room, towards the first floor rooms.
 7

Fig. 6: The Zisa - Planimetry of the second floor (last repairs by Prof. G. Caronia, after
1971)

Fig. 7: The Zisa – south-west back façade Figure 8: The Zisa – south-east tower

At the first and the second floor, always on the principal east side façade (side sea) the
position and shape of the windows is historically not well supported. A careful reading of
the documents of the archives and the most accredited interpretation of them suggest the
presence of numerous bifore windows, of wide but not very wide surface, surmounted in
some cases from small monofore in the same axis. Such openings had the function to
light up the pertaining premises and give fresh air not only to them but also to the inter-
 8

mediate rooms and the ones of the opposite front (western side).

The ancient builders have conceived the western side, i.e. the back façade (fig. 7), know-
ing that in the arc of the day it was the warmest front because of the combination of solar
radiation and of a higher air temperature during the afternoon. In fact west front is shaped
by small openings that limited the entry of warm air and let enter very little solar radia-
tion. Moreover, being situated rather high, they favoured the call of fresher air streams
from the vestibule and from the east side rooms.

2.3 2.3 Building Envelope

The building envelope develops a filter role between the indoor environment and the out-
door one, controlling the air, heat, and light inlet. The load bearing walls of the Zisa
combined the function of structural support with the protection from light and heat.

The building is characterised by masonries of big thickness (see fig.s 3, 4, 5, 6). At the
ground floor the external structural masonries have a thickness of 1.90m, 1.60m at the
first floor of and 1.40m at the second floor; the inside ones have thickness respectively of
1.50m, 1.10m and 0.80m. They are made by a double layer of big cut stone filled with
smaller stone dry handed or tied with mortar. The interior faces of the walls are plastered
with stucco and decorated with polychrome drawings.

The thermal capacity of the material is very high and therefore high thermal inertia: the
effects of delay and thermal attenuation mitigated summer irradiative contribution [11].
The materials have been used at their best to get comfortable conditions in the inside of
the building.

2.4 2.4 The Climate of the site and the indoor Ventilation

The reading of the planimetry puts in clear evidence (see Sez. in fig.3 and fig.s. 4, 5, 6
and) the natural course of the air flow that occurs into the building at each storey, through
the rooms, the corridors and the inside openings, when the fresh breezes of east put the
east façade in superpressure in comparison with the west one.

In absence of winds or breezes the natural aeration of rooms is made possible by the
adoption of numerous small round arch monofore high set above some external openings
and above the openings on the partition.

To better understand such a phenomenology let us consider in fact that in an interior the
stratification of air due to unavoidable thermal effects produces a cloak of warm air in the
upper part of the place and more fresh air in the lower part. To such a vertical gradient of
temperature is associated a vertical gradient of pressure that, even if very modest, is sus-
ceptible to activate exchange of air with an other close room if on the partition wall there
is a full height slot, even narrow, or if on the same wall two holes are opened: low the one
and higher the other one. It is so established between the two holes a sort of natural
chimney in which the movement of the air has motivations of the thermogravimetric type.
If there are two adjoining rooms (in different thermal conditions) it is, therefore, possible
 9

to activate effective air exchange between them by cutting in the partition wall two holes
with such characteristics. Likewise if the room looks out on the outside it is possible to
activate the exchange of external air, even in absence of breezes and opposite openings,
cutting on the external wall two holes at different levels. Such principles have been
closely followed, in detail, by the ancient and learned builders of the Zisa.

The back west side façade (fig. 7), has been conceived taking into account the fact that in
the arc of the day it was the warmest side because of the combination of solar radiation
and an higher air temperature during the afternoon. In fact west front is shaped by small
openings that limited the entry of warm air and got very few solar radiation enter. More-
over, being set rather high, they favoured the coming out of warm air stratified in the su-
perior volume of the rooms and the calling (yet not forced) of more fresh air streams from
the vestibule and from the east side rooms.

The orientation of the building too developed an important role. As matter of the fact it
was sited on the north-south axis: not a casual orientation because - being the building in-
tended to the summer residence of the royal court – it has been preferred to orientate the
main rooms towards the east. These ones are in fact exposed to the low and lukewarm
morning sun, mitigated from the musharabìjas on the external openings; while on the
west side the compact form, the big wall thickness and the small openings minimised the
exchanges with the outdoor and the contribution of afternoon solar radiation.

Other form of defence from the day heat was entrusted to a rational planning and destina-
tion of the indoor spaces. In fact was selected a location along the east side for the social,
living, or resting spaces during the day or night; while on side oriented to the west were
situated the kitchen, passage ways and other minor rooms. A long corridor at the first and
second floor behind of the west side façade, acting as a radiation shield, allowed to dissi-
pate a grat part of the thermal load transferred from the external wall, exposed to the af-
ternoon sun. It also acted, by means of the thermogravimetric mechanism before de-
scribed, on the ventilation of itself and on the call of more fresh air from the east side
rooms.

At the second floor (fig. 6), following of the description of Brother Leandro Alberti, there
were three open atria with manifold functions since the limited dimensions let them re-
main in the shade, keeping the radiant temperature lower than outdoor. In the evening and
at night there was the effect of cooling because of the irradiation backwards to the sky
dome, to the benefit of the rooms next to them. Moreover the three atria supplied natural
drought to the rooms of the second floor that, in the whole, looked out on them.

2.5 2.5 Meteorological data Analysis

With the purpose to correlate the above qualitatively description regarding the happy in-
tuitions and consequent solutions adopted from the original builders to use in the best
way the fresh summer breezes and to protect the building from the hot southern wind, the
authors have analysed the meteorological data scheduled at a weather station installed on
the roof of the D.E.A.F. of the Palermo University. The station is run from another group
of D.E.A.F researchers, which has given to the authors free admittance to the data records
for the subsequent elaborations, suitable to the purposes now pointed out. The meteoro-
 10

logical station is situated a little less than one kilometre from the Zisa and, from the point
of view of the location as regards the Conca d’Oro plain, the mountain belt, the exposure
at the sea, very well reproduces the homologous locations of the Zisa.

It was used a multichanell datalogger BABUC that every 1 or 6 minutes (according to the
measured parameter) records the maximum, minimum and average values of :

Tbs = [°C] dry bulb Temperature,

RH. = [%)] Relative Humidity,
Vwind = [m/s], wind Velocity,
DIRwind = [°Deg] north versus wind Direction,
ILLor.pl. = [Lux] Illuminance, on horizontal plane
IRRor.pl = [w/m2] Radiance on horizontal plane,
Patm = [mBar] atmospheric Pressure,
PHrain = [mm of rain] Pluviometric Height

Data are then send by modem to the elaboration center that provides to calculate statistic
parameters and the further determination such as:

ANGLE average ANGLE of the wind, per hour, in the prevailing direction;
RECURRENCES [%] percentage recurrence, per hour, of the wind directions in
everyone of the 16 sectors of the Wind Rose;
PS Prevailing Sector (i.e.: sector in which the greatest recurrence of
the wind directions occurs)
CALM [%] CALM percentage of wind per each hour;
Vaver average wind VELOCITY in the prevailing sector;
Tmax maximum TEMPERATURE, per hour
Tmin minimum TEMPERATURE, per hour
Taver average TEMPERATURE, per hour
Vmax maximum Wind VELOCITY, per hour
Vmin minimum Wind VELOCITY, per hour
Vaver average Wind VELOCITY, per hour
Pmax maximum atmospheric PRESSURE, per hour
Pmin maximum atmospheric PRESSURE, per hour
Paver average atmospheric PRESSURE, per hour
IRRmax maximum RADIANCE, per hour
IRRmin maximum RADIANCE, per hour
IRRaver average RADIANCE, per hour

The examined period, just in consideration of the original destination as a prevailing

summer residence, covers 117 days of the summer season and half of the autumn 1999,
exactly from 1th Jul. 1999 at 5th Nov. 1999. The number of scheduled events taken in the
consideration amounts apiece to 2.768 for every one of the before indicated parameters.

Tab. Ia: elaboration of the data per hour: values Max, Average and Min of Tbs, R.H, Patm, Vwind, IRR.oriz.pl.

date time Tmin Taver. Tmax RHmin RHaver. RH max P min Pmax Vmin Vaver. Vmax IRR IRR IRR
[°C] [°C] [°C] [%] [%] [%] [mBar] [mBar] [m/s] [m/s] [m/s] min aver. max
[w/m2] [w/m2] [w/m2]
01/07/1999 19,8 20,2 20,6 52 53 54 1012,7 1012,9 0,2 1,01 2,39 1 1 1
h. 5,00
01/07/1999 20,84 21,27 21,9 52,6 54 55 1012,6 1012,8 0,19 1,24 3,17 1 3 13
h. 6,00
 11

As an example they are brought in Tab. Ia and Tab. Ib facsimile of the printouts of the
elaborated data:
Tab Ib : data elaboration per hour of: Recurrences % of the directions of the wind in every one of the 16
sectors of the Wind-Rose; average wind ANGLE in the prevailing direction; % hourly of Calm;
average per hour Vaver. in the prevailing sector.

Channel 6 Wind Rose Sectors (ampl: 22.5°D )

Recurrences 1th 3th 3th 4th 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th 9 th 10 11 12 13° 14 15 16
th th th th th th
Values %r hour
Date % 0° 22, 45° 67, 90° 11 13 1518 20 22 24 27 29 31 37 % aver. Prev. Name of Vaver. Vel
time va- 5° 5° 2,5 5° 7,5
0° 2,55° 7,5 0° 2,5 5° ,5° of Dir. Sec- Wind in Prev. aver.
lids - - - - - °- - °-- °- - °- - °- - - cal Prev. tor prevailing sect. [m/s]
22, 45° 67, 90° 11 13 15 1820 22 24 27 29 31 33 36 m sect. sector [m/s]
5° 5° 2,5 5° 7,5 0°2,5 5° 7,5 0° 2,5 5° 7,5 0° [°D]
° ° ° ° ° °
01/Jul/199 100 0 0 0 0,3 0 1 4,5 17 19 22 25 8,3 1,8 0,7 0,2 0 0 200 9 Mezzog. e 1,19 1,0
9 h.0,00 Libeccio
01/Jul/199 100 0 0 0 0,2 0,5 0 1,1 3 10 36 39 7,8 1,2 0,8 0,2 0 0,5 213 10 Libeccio 1,06 0,9
9 h. 1,00 6

The analysed data are also gathered in the followings graphs 1, graphs 2, graphs 3 of syn-
thesis.
Graph 1: Period Jul. 01/99 ÷ Nov. /04/99 - angular Sectors of the Prevailing Wind Direction; average per
hour Vwind in the prevailing direction; maximum Values per hour of Tbs and R.H.

S e tto re P re v a le n te V m e d s e tt p re v T m ax U R m ax

96

88

80

72

64

56

48

40

32

24

16

0
29/07/1999 00,00
01/07/1999 0,00

08/07/1999 0,00

15/07/1999 0,00

22/07/1999 0,00

05/08/1999 0,00

12/08/1999 0,00

19/08/1999 0,00

26/08/1999 0,00

02/09/1999 0,00

09/09/1999 0,00

16/09/1999 0,00

23/09/1999 0,00

30/09/1999 0,00

07/10/1999 0,00

14/10/1999 0,00

21/10/1999 0,00

28/10/1999 0,00

04/11/1999 0,00

The next graphs 4 and 5, and still more graph 6 underline in clear way the prevalence in
summer and autumn of the south-western and western hot winds (from libeccio to libec-
cio-ponente: weather strongly varying between the very dry one, the humid or the mug-
gy), with more limited occurring of the fresh oriental winds of 2° sector (levante: middly
humid) and 3° sector (scirrocco-levante strongly varying between the very dry one and
the humid, according to the evolution of meteorological condition is on the beginning or
at the end).
 12

Graph 2: Extract of the period of most summer heat - Period Aug. 10/99 ÷ Aug. 23/ 99 - angular Sectors of
the Direction of the Prevailing Wind; average per hour Vwind in the prevailing direction; maxi-
mum Values per hour of Tbs and R.H.

S e tto re P r e v a le n t e V m e d s e tt p re v T m ax UR m ax

96
92
88
84
80
76
72
68
64
60
56
52
48
44
40
36
32
28
24
20
16
12
8
4
0
10/08/1999 0,00

11/08/1999 0,00

12/08/1999 0,00

13/08/1999 0,00

14/08/1999 0,00

15/08/1999 0,00

16/08/1999 0,00

17/08/1999 0,00

18/08/1999 0,00

19/08/1999 0,00

20/08/1999 0,00

21/08/1999 0,00

22/08/1999 0,00
Graph 3: Extract of the period of most autumnal heat - Period Oct. 17/99 ÷ Oct. 29/99 - angular Sectors of
the Direction of the Prevailing Wind; average per hour Vwind in the prevailing direction;
maximum Values per hour of Tbs and R.H.

S etto re P re v a lente V m e d s e tt p re v T max U R m ax

96
92
88
84
80
76
72
68
64
60
56
52
48
44
40
36
32
28
24
20
16
12
8
4
0
17/10/1999 0,00

18/10/1999 0,00

19/10/1999 0,00

20/10/1999 0,00

21/10/1999 0,00

22/10/1999 0,00

23/10/1999 0,00

24/10/1999 0,00

25/10/1999 0,00

26/10/1999 0,00

27/10/1999 0,00

28/10/1999 0,00

Graph 4: Period Jul. 01/99 ÷ Aug. 31/99 - angular Sectors of the Direction of the Prevailing Wind

Wind Rose Sector in the prevailing direction

16
Wind Rose Sector

12

0
date and hour
01/07/1999

08/07/1999

15/07/1999

22/07/1999

29/07/1999

05/08/1999

12/08/1999

19/08/1999

26/08/1999
00,00
0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00
 13

Graph 5: Period Sept. 01/99 ÷ Nov. 05/99 - angular Sectors of the Direction of the Prevailing Wind

W ind Rose Sector in the prevailing direction

16
Wind Rose Sector

12

0
date and hour
01/09/1999

08/09/1999

15/09/1999

22/09/1999

29/09/1999

06/10/1999

13/10/1999

20/10/1999

27/10/1999

03/11/1999
00,00
0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00

0,00
It is convenient to put in clear evidence, since it appears tightly connected with the bio-
climatic aspects of the constructive and architectural solutions acted in the Zisa, that such
meteorological recurrence has local character in the western Sicily, because of the loca-
tion to the border between the European continental area and the African one, and it goes
on until the month of November. In the considered period, in fact, the perturbations of
Atlantic origin prevail on the other ones. Entering in the Mediterranean sea from west to
east, they determine counter-clockwise wind regimes that call in the southern fringes of
central Mediterranean south/south-west, south-west, east, south-east air flows.

In the graph 6 are presented, in istogrammic form, so confirming what now asserted, the
average percentual recurrences of prevailing winds in every one of the sixteen sectors of
the wind rose, along the temporal arc of the 117 considered days. It is clearly appreciable
the prevalence of the western south (hot) winds and of the oriental (fresh) ones.

Graph 6: Period Jul. 01/99 ÷ Nov. 05/99 – % recurrences of prevailing winds in every one of the sixteen
sectors of the wind rose, concerning the whole period of observation.

% W inds Recurrences in each one of the W ind Rose sector along 117 day of the observation perid (27.860 data on
the basis of 10 data / hour)
16
14,4
% Wind Recurrence

14 13,2

12

10 9,4

8 7,0 7,2
6,5
6,0 5,7
6 5,0
4,6
4,1
4 3,0 3,1 3,2 3,2
2,5
2,0
2

0
Mezzogiorno e libeccio

Libeccio e Ponente
Scirocco e Levan.
Tramontana

135° - 157,5°

270° - 292,5°

315° - 337,5°
N/NE - NE
45° - 67,5°

% di calma
3° settore

13° settore

15° settore
1° settore

NO - N/NO
Grecale

7° settore

Maestrale
N-N/NE

Ponente
O -O/NO
SE- SE/S
0° - 22,5

Scirocco

225° - 247,5°
90° - 112,5°

11° settore
5° settore

SO - SO/O
180° - 202,5°
E - SE/E

9° settore
S - S/SO

Angular Sectors of the W ind R ose

 14

3. 3. THE SO CALLED “TOWERS OF VENTILATION”

During the last restauration works came to the light, in the two tower bodies (fig.s 1 and 8)
protruding out of the shorter south and north fronts of the building, two rectangular wells
1.20 m width and 0.25 m depth. Such wells look as holes in the floor crossings at first sto-
rey (see fig.s 4), while in the crossings of the second and of the coverage storeys (see fig.s
4 and 5) they affect walls in height and then appear in the form of vertical channels (see
fig. 3).
Such channels and holes have supplied starting point to the most varied interpretations.
Some ones maintain that they belonged to an advanced canalisations designed for direct
natural draught (upward flow) or indirect (downward flow) and conceived from the origi-
nal builders to assure ventilation, the air change and the cooling of the building, bringing
complex aeraulic circuits of pure imagination starting from the fountain room and then in-
volving horizontal and vertical ways variedly articulated. Other ones have more prudently
hypothesized that the chimney effect (direct or inverse) can have effectiveness only on the
rooms directly crossed by such canalisation. Others more are of opinion that such a net of
canalisation with natural draught had a more ample development involving an underground
cuniculus bordering some sides of the building. Somebody else [10], more pragmatically,
observing the small dimension of the holes and considering the habit of royal court to live
and chose day by day the fresher rooms of the building, are of opinion that such canalisa-
tions served the fire places put at each floor: they were nothing else than chimneys (origi-
nally more or less multiple) of fireplaces for local kitchens.
To take side on the matter would deserve today more careful investigations on the field and
examinations of findings; not last the exact location in the towers of windows, which vari-
ous researchers have located, along various ages, either on the major side of the towers, or
on the two minor ones, or on all the three sides, or even on none of them.
Here below are pointed out reasonings that should be useful to consider before taking any
position:
1. in a vertical channel connecting with the exterior an indoor space, in which tempera-
ture is higher than the outdoor, thermogravimetric unbalances always provokes an air
flow (chimney effect); air is recalled from the room and expelled to the outside (the
reverse occurs if indoor temperature is lower than the outdoor one);
2. the air flowing through the chimney is supplied in the room through the openings or
windows, if existing, cut in the walls of the very room;
3. the external openings at the time of the construction were entirely permeable to the
air and protected only by musharabìja (windows with wooden grille);
4. if there are windows in proximity of the chimney aspiration mouths it is of course
excluded any possibilityof air recall from any other way than those very;
5. the depression of thermogravimetric type (draught) determined by the environment
thermal unbalances is of so modest value that only can be effected extremely elemen-
tary aeraulic nets (way of air);
6. complex nets involving the crossing of numerous rooms and openings imply high
flow resistances (losses of load) not compatible with the action of propulsion
(draught) that a chimney with natural draught can supply;
7. the natural ventilation duct system or the breezes catching one is traditionally
adapted to building with extremely simple interior volumetries;
8. the presence of windows in the same room in which there is the mouth of the ventila-
tion duct limits the action of this, at the most, to the same place in which the mouth is
set;
 15

9. should it be confirmed that there were, since the origin, windows to every floor on
the walls of the towers then it should be accepted that the action of the ventilation
ducts would be exhausted in the volume of the same niche of the tower;
10. in this last circumstance it would take shape the hypothesis that, really, the towers
and the nets of ventilation were destined to fireplaces and that the ducts (inside wall
channels) were nothing but chimneys of fire place of local kitchens.

Some one has also hypothesized that the towers had function of tower of ventilation (catch-
ing tower) to catch fresh wind or breezes, and then the channels were baffled inside. To
support of such an hypothesis should it be found traces of such baffles. It contrasts yet the
circumstance that a catching tower requires the presence a strongly dominant useful
breeze. Such event doesn't happen today and there is not any reason to think that it hap-
pened long ago. The efficiency of the system would however limit itself to the only room
in which is situated the duct mouth.

Bibliography

[1] V. Olgyay, Progettare con il clima, Franco Muzzio & C. editor, 1981,1990;
[2] V. Tusa, Scavi medioevali a Palermo, in “Sicilia archeologica”, VI (1973) ;
[3] G. Bellafiore, La Zisa di Palermo, Palermo 1994;
[4] G. Caronia, La Zisa di Palermo Storia e resteauro, Laterza editor;
[5] G. Scudo, Tecnologie termoedilizie, Città studi, Milano 1992;
[6] P. Todaro, Palermo- Geologia del centro storico, Dario Flaccovio editor, 1995;
[7] P. Todaro, Il sottosuolo di Palermo, Dario Flaccovio editor 1995;
[8] F. Butera, Energia e tecnologia fra uomo e ambiente, Città studi, Milano 1992;
[9] V. Noto, Le fiabe di Sicilia, in Architettura Bioclimatica n.1 Palermo;
[10] U. Staake, La Zisa, Palermo 1991;
[11] I.P.M. Caltabiano, L’architettura civile Islamico Normanna in Sicilia ed il controllo del clima: La Zi-
sa - tesi di laurea a.a 98/99 - Facoltà di Architettura R. Calabria;
[12] G. Spatrisano, La Zisa e lo Scibene di Palermo, Palermo 1983;
[13] G. Di Stefano, Monumenti della Sicilia normanna, Palermo 1955;
[14] A. Goldschmidt, Die normannischen Königspalaste in Palermo, in “Zeitschrift für Bauwesen”, 1898;

(*)
Prof. Ing. Armando La Pica
Associate Professor of “Impianti Tecnici”
Temporary Theacher of “Misure e Regolazioni Termofluidodinamiche”
Mailing address
University of Palermo - Faculty of Engineering -
Dipartimento di Energetica ed Applicazioni di Fisica (D.E.A.F.)
Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo -Italy
Tel. 39 + 91 +236115 – fax 39 + 91 + 484425 – email: lapica@unipa.it

(**)
Arch. Adelaide Pignato
Free Lance and Cultore della materia at D.E.A.F
Mailing address
University of Palermo - Faculty of Engineering -
Dipartimento di Energetica ed Applicazioni di Fisica (D.E.A.F.)
Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo -Italy
Tel. 39 + 91 +23611o – fax 39 + 91 + 484425 – email: angip@unipa.it

IUAPPA 2001
12th World Clean Air & Environmental Congress and Exhibition
Seoul - Korea - 26 ÷ 31 August 2001