San Cataldo description and photos - Italy: Palermo (Sicily) (Topic)

San Cataldo description and photos - Italy: Palermo (Sicily). Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is San Cataldo.

Photo and description

San Cataldo is one of the oldest churches in Palermo, surprisingly similar to the eastern mosque. Located in Piazza Bellini near the Martorana Temple, it is a monument of Arab-Norman architecture, which combines Byzantine and Arab features.

The church dedicated to Saint Cataldo was built in the 12th century on the initiative of Mayo da Bari, minister of the Sicilian king William I the Wicked. It was originally Mayo's personal temple and stood on the grounds of his palace. However, after the death of the minister, all of his property was sold to Count Silvestro Marsico, whose son, in 1175, in turn sold the palace complex to King William II the Good. Seven years later, the palace, along with the church, became the property of the Monreale Monastery.

For five hundred years, San Cataldo was in the possession of the archbishops of Montreal - in those years, a small cemetery was built next to the parish church. The Mayo Palace was first used by the monks as a hospital, and then they housed the residence of the archbishops. Significant restoration work was carried out in it in 1625 and 1679. And in 1620 the southeastern part of the palace was sold to the Senate of Palermo, after which it turned into the current Palazzo Pretorio.

At the end of the 18th century, the Mayo Palace and the Church of San Cataldo were bought from the archbishopric by King Ferdinand II, who handed over the church to the archbishop of Palermo, and ordered to equip the post office in the palace. Only a hundred years later, the palace was demolished, and the hill on which it stood was dug down to its very foundations. Thanks to this event, the Church of San Cataldo, hitherto hidden from all sides by various buildings, it turned out to be open to the public's eyes. Major restoration work was carried out in it, as a result of which the church acquired its original appearance. In 1937 it became the property of the Order of Malta.

The architecture of the church is quite unusual: it is a parallelepiped with three hemispherical domes. Similar structures can be seen in the Italian region of Apulia and in North Africa. Even an ordinary tourist understands that it has not been without a distinct Arab influence. The three facades of the church are decorated with false arches, and only the southern facade, once adjacent to the palace, is devoid of decorations. Typical Arabic carvings can be seen on the roof. From the interior decoration, only the altar and the inlaid floor, dating from the 12th century, have survived. And on one of the walls is an epitaph in honor of Matilda, the daughter of Count Silvestro Marsico, who died in infancy.

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Topic: San Cataldo description and photos - Italy: Palermo (Sicily).