Religious, Spiritual sights in Palermo
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Chiesa di San Domenico
The Chiesa di San Domenico lies Off Via Roma. It was built in 1640 following the design of architect Andrea Cirincione; the façade was added in 1726 after the buildings that once occupied the square were demolished to give the church some space.
The church has been the place where Italian VIPs have been buried since the Middle Ages; among the tombs and cenotaphs of notable Sicilians, you'll find the names of parliamentarian Ruggero Settimo, painter Pietro Novelli, and the former Italian prime minister Francesco Crispi.
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Chiesa di San Cataldo
The Chiesa di San Cataldo almost looks Eastern European but, disappointingly, is almost bare inside. Its main point of interest to visitors lies in the Arab-Norman style of its exterior: the dusky-pink bijoux domes, solid square shape, blind arcading and delicate tracery.
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Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini
In the southwestern corner of the Quattro Canti is the Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini, topped by a soaring cupola. The monumental interior is baroque at its brashest, and has been lovingly restored after it suffered substantial damage during WWII.
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Cappella Palatina
On the middle level of the three-tiered loggia is Palermo’s premier tourist attraction, the Cappella Palatina, designed by Roger II in 1130. Restoration work completed in July 2008 (after a small earthquake in 2002 damaged the structure) has returned the chapel to its original splendour, and the walls once again swarm with figures in glittering, dreamy gold. These exquisite mosaics recount tales of the Old and New Testaments, capturing expression, detail and movement with extraordinary grace. The harmony of the chapel’s decoration is further enhanced by the inlaid marble floors and the wooden muqarnas ceiling, a masterpiece of honeycomb carving in Arabic style that…
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Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi
The Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi (M0151) is Palermo's picture-perfect piazza, overlooked by the charming Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi , which features a fine rose window and a flamboyant Gothic portal; it's understandably popular on the wedding circuit. The church's most interesting feature is the rare arch of the Cappella Mastrantonio (Chapel of Mastrantonio), carved in 1468 by Francesco Laurana and Pietro da Bonitate, and one of the only true examples of Renaissance art in Palermo.
The church also showcases sculptures by the Gagini family, Giambattista Ragusa and Giacomo Serpotta.
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La Martorana
Twelfth-century La Martorana was originally planned as a mosque by King Roger’s Syrian Emir, George of Antioch. In 1433 the church was donated to an aesthetically challenged order of Benedictine nuns who demolished most of the stunning mosaics executed by Greek craftsmen and replaced them with gaudy baroque ornamentation, thus destroying the church’s cohesive integrity. The few remaining original mosaics include two magnificent portraits of George of Antioch and Roger II that are well worth seeking out.
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Chiesa di Santa Zita
The 14th-century Chiesa di Santa Zita church is named after the tired patron saint of domestic servants. The church's funerary chapels are particularly lavish, thanks to the clever idea of the Dominican priests who acquired the church in the 16th century to allow rich families to bury their dead here, thus collecting income for the priests' monastery.
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Chiesa di Santa Caterina
Closing off the eastern side of the square is the Chiesa di Santa Caterina, Palermo's finest baroque church. Belonging to a Dominican monastery, the church is held in trust by seven very old nuns, who kept the doors of the church shut for 14 years, finally opening them again for visitors on Christmas Eve 2006. The entrance is on Piazza Bellini.
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Il Capo Cathedral Treasury
Inside the Il Capo Cathedral is a magnificent treasury, whose most extraordinary exhibits are the fabulous 13th-century crown of Constance of Aragon (wife of Frederick II), made by local craftsmen in fine gold filigree and encrusted with gems, and a tooth extracted from Santa Rosalia, whose ashes are also kept here in a silver reliquary.
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Complessa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo
The Complessa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo is originally a church and convent and the only example of northern Gothic style in Sicily. Its elegant polygonal apse and tall slender nave have stood for centuries without a roof. It makes a fabulous venue for regular exhibitions and concerts in the summer.
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Chiesa della Magione
Across Piazza Magione from Lo Spasimo is the Chiesa della Magione, also known as La Magione. It's a fine example of the more austere Romanesque style that the Normans brought to Sicily.
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Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
The centrepiece of the Capo quarter is the imposing monastery of Chiesa di Sant'Agostino, which ran the region in medieval times.
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Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti
South of the palazzo are the peaceful Norman cloisters of the Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti.
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