Martorana

An architectural testimony to Sicily’s many invasions over the centuries, the church commonly known as La Martorana—officially Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio—blends a number of different architectural styles to form one of the most unique religious complexes in Sicily, and is primarily known for its sumptuous internal mosaics that are considered among the best Byzantine artworks in the world. One of the top attractions in Palermo, La Martorana is best visited with a guide as part of a walking tour of the city’s historic center to fully grasp its complex architecture and mosaic art. Most small-group or private tours of Palermo include a visit to La Martorana together with stops at the city’s other Arab-Norman churches including the Palatine Chapel and the Duomo.

Dating back to 1141, the only remaining vestiges of La Martorana’s original Norman design is its red dome, still visible from the exterior, while the facade was reworked in a Baroque style and the bell tower is Romanesque. Inside, the original 12th-century mosaics are the artistic crown jewel of the complex and cover much of the nave and apse. The complex was granted to a Benedictine nun named Eloisa Martorana—hence the church’s nickname—in the 1190s, and the convent flourished until the 1900s, when Mussolini granted the church to the Greek Orthodox community in Palermo.