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Palermo

A few days of Dolce Vita

By Emma-Jane Browne

July 15^th, 2019

Palermo

This February I traveled to Palermo, Sicily. Recently I have been reading up a lot on the Middle Ages, and the especially the powerplay around the Mediterranean, so Sicily seemed like a perfect place to visit.

Cattedrale

NOrmani

Palazzo dei Normanni & Capella Palatina

Last year I saw a documentary about the Palatine Chapel. I was fascinate and knew I had to visit. Built in the 1130s by Roger II of Sicily, it combines Norman, Saracen and Byzantine architectural elements, and it famed for it's gilded mosaics. The chapel is quite small, which makes the visit all the more wonderful.

La Martorana

Also know as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, La Martorana was built in the second half of the 12th century by George of Antioch, the 'admiral' and main minister of Roger II, the chuch later became part of a convent that became famous for the frutta di Martorana, fruit shaped mazipan sweets made by the nuns.

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Built on a former mosque and recognisable by it's distinctive red domes, this church is a fine example of the Arab-Norman culture in Sicily during the 11th, 12th & 13th centuries.

Monreale

Now a suburb just outside of Palermo, Monreale was once a small village and the retreat of the Bishop of Palermo during the Arab occupation of the 11th century.

The church is an imposing and impressive example of Sicilian-Norman architecture, complete with cloisters with intricate pillars. You can also visit the roof terrasses of the church, which offer lovely views of the church itself, the cloisters and the surrounding hills.