San Giovanni degli Eremiti

The church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti is one of Palermo's iconic monuments. It stands a stone's throw from the Palazzo dei Normanni, where a Benedictine monastery already existed, which tradition dates back to the 6th century. King Roger II had it rebuilt in 1132 according to the canons of Arab-Norman architecture. Outside, the eye is caught by hemispherical domes resting on cubic volumes of squared stone; the interior, with a single nave and a transept, is bare and intimate. Next to it is the cloister, probably from the 13th century, with paired columns, pointed arches and a lush garden. It is part of the UNESCO site «Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale».