Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, Palermo
Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, commonly called La Martorana, is a 12th-century church founded by George of Antioch, an admiral in the Norman court, and renowned for its extraordinarily well-preserved Byzantine mosaics, among the finest surviving examples anywhere outside of Byzantium itself. A mosaic depicting Roger II being crowned directly by Christ is one of the most historically significant images in the church.
Over subsequent centuries the church was modified with Baroque additions, creating a layered building where 12th-century Byzantine gold mosaics sit alongside much later decorative work, a visible timeline of Sicilian architectural history in one space.
It's directly adjacent to San Cataldo with its red domes, and pairing the two makes for a compact but rich stop illustrating Palermo's Arab-Norman-Byzantine heritage.
Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, Palermo FAQs
The nickname comes from a adjoining Benedictine convent founded later by a noblewoman named Eloisa Martorana, whose name became attached to the church.
A famous 12th-century Byzantine mosaic depicting Norman king Roger II being crowned directly by Christ, asserting the divine legitimacy of his rule.
La Martorana has an ornate, mosaic-covered interior contrasting sharply with San Cataldo's plain, austere Norman interior right beside it.
Yes, a small fee typically applies.
20-30 minutes given the density of the mosaics worth studying closely.
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