Church of San Cataldo in Palermo
The Church of San Cataldo in Palermo is a small architectural masterpiece, the work of Islamic workers who built it according to Western-Romanesque criteria.
Originally the building was the chapel of a complex of buildings, now disappeared, belonging to Maione da Bari, Grand Admiral of the reign under King William I.
Its parallelepiped shape with the typical red domes that dominates it is the most peculiar example of Arab architectural culture at the service of the Norman kings.
The external façade is animated by blind recessed arches that frame the three single-lancet windows open on each side and from the end coping. The main apse is protruding and as high as the whole building.
The interior, with a central plan, is divided into three naves separated by four columns, and is marked by the three domes that identify the three square bays of the central nave . The short aisles are covered with cross vaults. The bare walls, devoid of any decoration, enhance the architectural clarity of the church, softened by the corner columns of the sanctuary and the pointed arches supported by columns and capitals. The floor in opus sectile contributes to making the church even more precious. This floor, the only example of the era of William I, is an example of the new current promoted by Roger II, who interpreted the oriental tradition of Byzantine origin in a new and original way.
The church was incorporated into a neoclassical structure at the beginning of the 19th century. It was then restored, between 1881 and 1885, by the architect Giuseppe Patricolo who eliminated the volumes that had been added over time to the original building.
