CHIESA SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI EREMITI
One of the most characteristic Norman buildings of the city with five red domes of oriental type
It is one of the most characteristic Norman constructions of the city, with its five red domes of oriental type, very close to the Norman Palace, in the historical centre. Built on top of an older church (6th century) during the Arab domination, it was not converted into a mosque, but was originally dedicated to Catholic worship. Commissioned by Roger II in the 12th century, it was built next to an Arab mosque of which little remains and was used as a funeral chapel by the court dignitaries. It was restored in 1880 by the architect Guiseppe Patricolo, who, among other things, removed the interior stuccoes and the later medieval constructions. Its harmonious square volumes, which can be seen from the outside, are highlighted by its red domes, which can be seen all together when properly positioned. The bare interior is in the shape of a Latin cross with a single nave. To the right of the choir one enters a room divided by pillars, which were once part of the mosque. Next to it, in the middle of a pretty garden with exuberant vegetation, stands an elegant small 13th century cloister with pointed arches supported by beautiful geminated columns and Gothic-style historiated capitals. Palm trees, agaves, orange trees, Chinese mandarins and bougainvilleas compete for the limelight. A haven of peace in the middle of the tumult of the city.