La Martorana and San Cataldo
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In Piazza Bellini are two splendid churches. The little, mid-12th-century San Cataldo has three Arabic bulbous red domes all in a row, latticed windows and an elegantly bare interior. But it is the Santa Maria dell’ Ammiraglio next door that is the real gem. It was later renamed La Martorana after the Spanish patron who established a convent nearby. Notice the Norman bell tower (c.1140), now missing its red dome, which is just as dramatic as the Baroque façade added in the 16th century. Inside, ignore the later paintings in favour of the original mosaic decoration by skilled Byzantine craftsmen. Just inside the door, an image of King Roger, feet firmly on the ground, is shown being crowned by Christ, hovering in his ethereal realm (see La Martorana, Palermo).
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