Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
domed cupola depicting Christ enthroned amid his archangels. The interior is best appre-
ciated in the morning, when sunlight illuminates magnificent Byzantine mosaics.
In 1433 the church was given over to an aesthetically challenged order of Benedictine
nuns - founded by Eloisa Martorana, hence its nickname - who tore down the Norman
apse, reworked the exterior in a fussy baroque fashion and demolished most of the stun-
ning mosaics executed by Greek craftsmen, replacing them with the gaudy baroque orna-
mentation of their own frescoed chapel. The few remaining original mosaics include two
magnificent portraits, one representing George of Antioch, crouched behind a shield at the
feet of the Virgin Mary, and one of Roger II receiving his crown from Christ (the only
portrait of him to survive in Sicily). Mussolini returned the church to the Greek Orthodox
community in 1935, and the Greek Mass is still celebrated here.
Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo
CHURCH
(Piazza Bellini 3; admission €2.50; 9.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm)
This 12th-century church in Arab-Nor-
man style is one of Palermo's most striking buildings. With its dusky-pink bijou domes,
solid square shape, blind arcading and delicate tracery, it illustrates perfectly the synthesis
of Arab and Norman architectural styles. The interior, while more austere, is still beauti-
ful, with its inlaid floor and lovely stone-and-brickwork in the arches and domes.
The building was founded in the 1150s by Maio of Bari (William I's emir of emirs, or
chancellor) but Maio's murder in 1160 meant it was never finished - hence the lack of ad-
ditional adornment within.
Chiesa di Santa Caterina
CHURCH
( 338 7228775; Piazza Bellini; admission €2; 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-2pm Sun Apr-Oct,
9.30am-1.30pm daily Nov-Mar )
On Piazza Bellini's northern edge, this ornate baroque church
was built between 1566 and 1596, though many of its smooth white statues and whirling
frescoes and much of its gilded stucco were added in the 18th century. Noteworthy fea-
tures include the carved marble presbytery, the altar's silver angels and the statue of St
Catherine in the right transept, carved by Antonello Gagini in 1534.
Chiesa di San Giuseppe
dei Teatini
CHURCH
