Church of San Cataldo

San Cataldo is a church in Palermo that looks like a mosque, located next to the temple of Martorana. It is a typical monument of Arab-Norman architecture, combining Byzantine and Arab features.

The church was founded by Mayo of Bari, the first minister of King William XIII, as his own house temple. Since the XII century, it was transferred to numerous owners along with the entire palace complex. It now belongs to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

The church building in shape is a parallelepiped, on which another smaller one is erected, decorated with three domes characteristic of mosques. That is why the church is unlike any other monument in the city, as researchers see its architecture as a distinct Arab influence.

The northern and western facades are decorated with false arches, and the eastern façade with arches framing the apses. Of the three, only one, the central apse, protrudes beyond the contours of the building, thereby disrupting the rectangular shape of the church. The southern facade of the church used to be adjacent to the now demolished palace, so it is devoid of any decorations. The parapet is decorated with typical Arabic carvings. Originally, it was carved and inscription in Latin, of which only minor fragments remain.

On the inner walls of the church, researchers found no traces of mosaics and frescoes, which led to the assumption of their original absence in the interior. From the XII century remained the main altar and inlaid floor, as well as a wall slab with an epitaph.