Arab-Norman Itinerary (Unesco sites)

Half day itinerary (within 4 hours)

Cathedral of Palermo

A wonderful fusion of styles a succession of styles from XII to XVIII century which have succeeded to form a true art history book of Palermo.

St John of hermits Church

XII Century church, today desecrated, surmounted by red domes. The church is surrounded by a beautiful garden where is possible to admire a beautiful, small but well preserved cloister

Martorana Church

XII Century church, the main church of Greek Rite in Palermo. Decorated with Byzantine mosaics and baroque frescoes.

Full day itinerary (within 7 hours)

Includes the Cathedral of Monreale in the surroundings of Palermo and the Benedictine cloister.

The Cathedral of Monreale

A splendid cathedral, famous throughout the world for its beauty. Plain exterior but inside it is decorated with the largest surface of Byzantine, golden mosaics, depicting the main scenes of Old and New Testament.

Baroque Itinerary

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

The church of the ancient Dominican Monastery which today is a museum, is one the finest examples of mixed marble decoration, marble inlays covering the whole church, more marble decorations in relief.
From the church is also possible to see the galleries used by the cloistered nuns to follow the Mass.

Church of Saint Joseph of the Theatines

Large baroque church, decorated with stuccoes and frescoes.

Walking to the sea we will stop to the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, built in middle age, but decorated in the following centuries too. Among the several decorations, we will find, inside the church, the statues in stucco made by a famous stucco maker of Palermo, born in XVII Century, Giacomo Serpotta who gave his statues, depicting the Virtues, the appearence of women of his time. Serpotta decorated the near Oratory of Saint Lawrence as well.

The Oratory of Saint Lawrence

A rectangular oratory along the walls of which, the artist made small niches, namely “Teatrini”, small theatres, as they look like small theatre scenes. Inside the small theatre, Serpotta made small in the round small statutes in stucco, depicting scenes of life of Saint Lawrence and Saint Francis.

I am available for guided tours in Segesta, Selinunte, Mozia and Erice, contact me and we will organize the tour