Chiesa Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Martorana) - Palermo

The church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio was built in 1143 by George of Antioch, admiral of King Roger II.

In the 15th century, the building was assigned to the nearby monastery of Benedictine nuns, founded in 1194 by Goffredo and Eloisa Martorana; Since then the church has also been called 'Martorana'.

The building consists of the sanctuary, which retains its original square structure with a dome supported by four pointed arches , typical of the Arab-Norman style, and the Baroque naves, added at the end of the 17th century, which cover the entrance hall, since the church was originally preceded by an uncovered courtyard on which stood the bell tower , which was raised in the 14th century and became the main entrance to the church in the 17th century. The spacious interior has three naves with a chancel supported by columns from earlier Norman buildings at the entrance.

Particularly interesting are the Byzantine mosaics that cover part of the interior and the 18th century frescoes in the choir by Olivio Sozzi and Guglielmo Borremans. The deep quadrangular presbytery from 1685 is decorated with mixed marble ; on the altar is a precious lapis lazuli tabernacle from the end of the 17th century and the 'Ascension' painted by Vincenzo da Pavia in 1533. The church is part of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi, a Catholic diocese of the Greek-Byzantine church in Sicily.

Since July 3, 2015 , Chiesa Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Martorana) has been part of the Norman Arab Route included as a human heritage in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Willem Vandenameele