Palermo (Sicily) Red seal of William II   April 1172

    Seal affixed to a charter of William II in favour of Archbishop Walter of Palermo (1166-1189). The charter extended the archbishop's jurisdictional powers.
The seal is in red wax in a wooden disc. The portrayal of the king is of a different type from that of the lead bulls, as here he is not standing, but seated in majesty on the throne and bearing the insignia of power, including the globe surmounted by a cross. The seal bears the inscription in Latin "William, by the grace of God, king of Sicily, duke of Puglia and prince of Capua".

Dimensions of the object
Total diameter 5.5 cm

Bibliography
- "L'età normanna e sveva in Sicilia", catalogo della mostra a Palazzo dei Normanni a Palermo, organizzata dall'Assemblea Regionale Siciliana, Palermo, 1994, p. 90

Location
Palermo, Tabularium of the Cathedral

Photography
G. Cappellani