LA MARTORANA CHURCH Interior

2:09

As you can see, the first part of the church dates to the Baroque period, and it is decorated with frescoes from the 18th century. The most interesting part is further along, towards the dome, where marvelous glittering gold lights up the interior. Unfortunately, only two panels from the Norman decoration have survived: Christ crowning Roger II, and George of Antioch in adoration of the Virgin.

You’ll see that the church is organized around the dome supported by four columns from which four arms form the pattern of a cross, with the altar in the center. The most enchanting feature of the church is the extraordinary mosaic decoration which is quite well preserved. Each moment of the liturgy is illustrated with the appropriate figures.

The mosaics, dating to around 1150, are arranged in a simple, symmetrical pattern, in which everything revolves around the all-powerful figure of Christ Pantocrator, depicted at the center of the dome. Christ is seated on the throne administering blessings surrounded by angels in adoration. The Prophets are depicted on the drum that connects the church to the dome, and you can see the Four Evangelists in the niches.

If you look carefully, you’ll see that the scenes and the figures become progressively less important the closer they are to the ground, representing the passage from heaven to earth. On the vault of the triumphal arch is the Annunciation, and in the side apses you can admire Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, while the central apse, destroyed to build the choir for the nuns, originally there was an image of the Virgin Mary. The 8 Apostles are depicted on the vaults, while near the entrance, in the space occupied by worshippers during mass, you can admire the magnificent Nativity of Jesus and the Transit of the Virgin.

 

An interesting fact: between the mosaics, you can see Greek lettering because the Byzantine rite of the Eastern Church is still officiated in the church. La Martorana belongs to an eparchy, or diocese of the Italo-Albanian Church, so the services are officiated in both ancient Greek and Albanian.

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Palermo
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Palermo for
€ 7,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
PALERMO INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

PALERMO INTRODUCTION

Palermo spent almost two and a half centuries under Arab rule, from 831 to 1071. The Saracens made it the capital of Sicily and turned it into a major city, leaving their mark on the local culture,...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

A tasty typical lunch might begin with traditional local starters such as caponata, fried pieces of eggplant cooked in a sweet and sour tomato sauce with celery, capers, onion and crushed green...
PALAZZO DEI NORMANNI AND PALATINE CHAPEL
5 Audio

PALAZZO DEI NORMANNI AND PALATINE CHAPEL

The imposing Palazzo dei Normanni, which is currently the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, has a long, complex history. It sits at the highest point in the city, where the Carthaginians and...
TEATRO MASSIMO OPERA HOUSE
1 Audio

TEATRO MASSIMO OPERA HOUSE

The decision to build the opera house was taken by the city council, and it was named after the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele, a clear symbol of Palermo’s new identity as a city of unified...
CATHEDRAL
3 Audio

CATHEDRAL

The magnificent Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was built during the Norman period following a kind of power struggle between the king and the archbishop.The Norman king,...
LA MARTORANA CHURCH
2 Audio

LA MARTORANA CHURCH

La Martorana Church, also known as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, was built on the orders of George of Antioch, Grand Admiral of King Roger II’s fleet of the Kingdom of Sicily, to give...
MONREALE CATHEDRAL
5 Audio

MONREALE CATHEDRAL

By 1183, most of the work had been completed, including the church, with its extraordinary cloister, and the royal palace, which has now all but disappeared; the elegant portico on the left side was...
QUATTRO CANTI
1 Audio

QUATTRO CANTI

Quattro Canti, whose official name is Piazza Villena, is the result of two important urban projects undertaken between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Viceroy García de...
CHURCH OF THE GESÙ
2 Audio

CHURCH OF THE GESÙ

In 1549, the Jesuits were summoned to Palermo to preach and to take care of public education. The Norman abbey of Santa Maria la Grotta was thus given over to them to be turned into a Casa Professa,...
CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI EREMITI
1 Audio

CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI EREMITI

It was built on the spot of an ancient monastery that the Arabs destroyed and replaced with a mosque. When the Normans arrived, however, part of the mosque was demolished and around 1150, Roger II...
PALAZZO ABATELLIS AND REGIONAL GALLERY OF SICILY
3 Audio

PALAZZO ABATELLIS AND REGIONAL GALLERY OF SICILY

This austere, elegant edifice was built between 1490 and 1495 by Matteo Carnelivari for the rich, influential Francesco Abatellis, Port Master of the Kingdom of Sicily, on the main road of the...
CHURCH OF SAN CATALDO
1 Audio

CHURCH OF SAN CATALDO

The little Church of San Cataldo looks onto Piazza Bellini, which during the Norman period was the center of civic life in Palermo; at the time, it was known as Piano di San Cataldo or Piano della...
ZISA
1 Audio

ZISA

The splendid Villa Zisa was built starting from 1164 by craftsmen from Tunisia for the Norman king, William I, who was determined to surpass the splendor of the Favara Palace which had been built by...
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
2 Audio

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The Antonio Salinas Regional Archeological Museum is located in the Olivella monumental complex, which comprises the Church of Sant'Ignazio and the nearby Oratory of Saint Phillip Neri. In 1866, the...
ORATORY OF THE ROSARY
1 Audio

ORATORY OF THE ROSARY

Oratories were places in which members – noblemen or rich merchants – would gather to recite the rosary, or a series of Hail Marys, sometimes followed by psalms. This custom grew following...
CAPUCHIN CATACOMBS
1 Audio

CAPUCHIN CATACOMBS

The underground cemetery of the Friars, improperly known as the Capuchin Catacombs, was built in 1599, following a curious event. A number of friars, who had entered the graves of the convent to...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!