Built around the end of the 12th Century during the Norman reign of Guglielmo II, the Cattedrale (Cathedral) is definitely one of the most important religious buildings from a historical and artistic perspective. Throughout the centuries, it underwent various additions and restorations. One of the most outstanding change is that of the Florentine architect Fuga, from the end of the 17th century, which gave the building its definite neoclassic style. Remarkable details of the exterior to admire include the 13th-century bronze door, enriched with the four symbols of the evangelists, (a lion, an angel, a bull and an eagle), the magnificent dome and the apses, a vestige of the original church. Inside, among the various and splendid chapels, it should be mentioned that some house the tombs of Norman and Suebi royalty (Ruggero II, Federico II, Costanza d'Altavilla) as well as the silver urn that contains the ashes of Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of the city.
The Santa Rosalia Sanctuary is located 430m above sea level, at the top of some steps that were cut out of the rock. Built in 1625, it houses a church and a convent. The church is quite small, not more than 10m long, and goes 25m deep into the cave. This is probably where they found the relic of the "Santuzza" - or "little saint", the short name given to Santa Rosalia dai Palermitani. Upon entering the cave through an iron gate you feel a bit intimidated. At the back of the cave a simple yet impressive altar can be found, illuminated by some moveable lights. Behind the altar, carved in the rock, there is a marble statue of the Virgin Inmaculate dating from the 18th century. On the left, inside a little hole made on the stonewall, a marble figure represents the saint's head. A very moving visit.
In 1571, the Company of SS. Rosario, the richest lay brotherhood of Palermo, started the building of an oratory behind Chiesa di Santa Cita. The entrance till date preserves its primitive Renaissance look, but the stunning decoration inside is one of the highest examples of Rococo style in Italy. During the 17th Century, the Company ordered valuable paintings representing the Holy Mysteries (on lateral sides and above the entrance) and in 1628 famous Flemish artist Anton Van Dyke made the painting of "Madonna del Rosario" above the altar. The theatrical snow-white stucco decorations, so closely related to paintings in their forms and meanings, were completed in the 18th Century by sculptor Giacomo Serpotta. Typical are the playful little angels called "putti" and the Virtues represented as young fashionable dames.
The Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione in Capo Market is a supreme example of Sicilian baroque. Built up in a few months during 1612, its decoration took a century to be completed. The sober facade is inspired by the first Roman baroque style, similar to the Renaissance aesthetic, so the pomp of the interiors is unexpected. An uninterrupted decoration of multicolored marble inlays, bas-reliefs and statues cover the walls. The fine art of inlay is expressed at its best in four altar frontals representing city landscapes in perspective. The first chapel on the right is entitled to San Rosalia, whose statue by Carlo D’Aprile stands between two fancy spiral columns. Further on stands the statue of “Holy Mary” (1623) by Vincenzo Di Guercio. Next to the chancel, San Benedetto’s chapel hosts a painting by G. Velasco with the saint destroying idols. Above the main altar stands a fine canvas of the “Immacolata Concezione” by Pietro Novelli. The Aragona’s coat of arms in the presbytery are an omage to the commissioner, abbess Flavia Maria D’Aragona. A fine crucifix stands to the left on a rich reliquary. The beautiful chapel for Madonna Libera Inferni with a fine statue by Vincenzo Guercio (1635) is on this side by the entrance.
Opened in 2003, Lanterna Magica di Giuseppe Mirisola started of as a place which dealt primarily in antique photographs. Exhibition rooms within the building often exhibit works by some of Italy's greatest photographers namely Beato, Nadar, Ponti and others. Evolving over the years, it has grown to become a full-fledged library dealing in fantasy literature, comics, poetry, philosophy, satire, journals and even video games. Stop by for a visit.
St. Francesco da Paola’s was originally built in 1518, in late Gothic-Catalan style, to replace the little Church of St. Oliva. Given a Manieristic twist by the end of that century, during the 18th Century its interiors were covered with Baroque marble inlays. Only the ogival arches in the transept, the rib vaults and the chapel of St. Oliva can testify to the original 16th-century church. The facade also preserves a 16th-century marble portal featuring bas-reliefs of Holy Mary, of St. Francesco and of St. Oliva, by Giacomo Gagini. On the right side, a strong belfry stands stately. The interiors feature fine frescoes: noteworthy are the ones featuring the saint and scenes from his life by the so called Zoppo di Ganci (Ganci Cripple), whereas the frescoes of the Virtù Teologali (Holy Virtues) are by Vito D’Anna. The 18th-century altar is made with gold-encrusted copper and semi-precious stones. The chapel dedicated to St. Francesco, second on the right, hosts an 18th-century wooden altar with a frontal encrusted in coral. The fifth chapel on the left has a valuable marble icon by Antonio Gagini, featuring scenes of Santa Caterina’s life (1534). The chapel next to the presbytery hosts an 18th-century bust of St. Francesco by Vincenzo Gagini and an 18th-century altar front adorned with corals. The 16th-century funeral monuments of Laura Valguarnera and Adolfo Spinola can be admired in the second chapel on the right.