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All 132 Palermo Attractions »

Church of San Cataldo

Piazza Bellini 2, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
091-6161692
Ranked #15 of 102 attractions in Palermo
4.5 of 5 stars 27 Reviews
Type: Religious Sites
Description: This small church of San Cataldo was built in 1160, during the Norman occupation of Palermo.
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27 reviews from our community

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Bucharest, Romania
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2012

Splendid old church, near Palazzo dei Normanni, from 12th century. It has some Arab elements (three pink domes), and it is built in a simple linear style. The interior, with no decoration except the mosaic on the floor, has three vaults corresponding probably to the exterior domes and arches supported by columns. The stone walls, arches and columns look impressive. More

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See 5 more reviews by silvisly for Palermo
Dublin, Ireland
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
50 helpful votes 50 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2012

One of my favourite churches in Palermo. "What?" I hear you scream. "What about la Matorana? La Cattedrale? La capella palatine? Yeah yeah yeah, all those show how tremendously rich Palermo was in the medieval. But for simple, pure, God-worshipping spirituality, you can't beat San Cataldo. You won't be surprised that the church was built by a military man (an... More

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See 7 more reviews by sean.casaidhe for Palermo
Santa Fe, NM
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

This is a jewel of a church and likely overlooked by many. Interesting history and interesting architecture. More

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See 2 more reviews by NewMexicans_10 for Palermo
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2012

A small church and a wonderful example of Arabian/Norman architecture (unique to Sicily) with exterior red domes and a white stone interior. Don't miss it. More

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See 4 more reviews by KarenH224 for Palermo
London
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2012

This little Arab / Norman church, with its row of pink Arabic domes, is architecturally simple but the interior has an austere beauty that I, for one, loved. Recommended. More

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See 4 more reviews by handel21 for Palermo
Bucks
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 March 2012

An unconsecrated church with a simple interior. Clear Arab influence. Very appealing. More

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See 4 more reviews by emo7 for Palermo
Worthing, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
53 reviews 53 reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
234 helpful votes 234 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 September 2007
6
people found this review helpful

The San Cataldo chapel is located in Piazza Bellini up a flight of steps and directly adjacent to Santa Maria dell' Ammiraglio (La Martorana). Built in the twelfth century it is easily recognisable by the row of three Arab-style red domes lining the roof and the arched windows. The chapel is open during the morning only and costs 1.5 euros... More

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See 11 more reviews by debdancing for Palermo
Nigran, Spain
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 May 2012 NEW
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See 4 more reviews by PEDRO G for Palermo
treviso
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2012
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See 2 more reviews by ali131 for Palermo
Florence, Italy
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012
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