Martorana

The Martorana or, as it is also called, the church of Santa Maria del Ammirallo, along with the small church of San Cataldo, towers over Bellini Square in the center of Palermo. Built in 1145 by George of Antioch, admiral or vizier of Roger II, the church got its current name from the neighboring monastery founded in 1193 by Eloise Martorana. On July 3, 2015, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites.

The patron saint is the Virgin Mary

Martorana was founded in 1143 by order of George of Antioch, admiral of the Norman King Roger II of Sicily. It was completed in 1185. It is believed that its design and decoration were executed and supervised by George of Antioch, who loved the Byzantine style and art of his native Greece. The church was built to thank the Virgin Mary for her protection and to give the Greek Byzantine monks a home church. The church was named in her honor and quickly received the name of St. Mary Admiral. The coronation of Peter III of Aragon by Sicilian nobles took place in Martorana.

The age-old change

At the end of the 16th century, the original facade was demolished, the Martorana was expanded and a front porch was built connecting the church with the bell tower. In the second half of the 17th century, the main apse was removed, and later a presbytery was erected, decorated with colorful, mixed marble and frescoes. The beautiful tabernacle made of lapis lazuli is noteworthy. In 1750, the impressive Baroque facade, designed by Nicolo Palma, faced the north side of the church, facing Piazza Bellini. Finally, in 1870, Giuseppe Patrikolo removed some of the Baroque decorations to return the church to its original state. Since 1937, Martorana has belonged to the diocese of Piana degli Albanesi, whose liturgy is still conducted in the Greek-Byzantine rite.

The Church of Christ

At the entrance to the Martorana, among the magnificent gold-plated Byzantine mosaics covering the interior, there is a mosaic icon in the eastern apse depicting Giorgio D'antioch prostrating before the Virgin. Here the Virgin Mary holds a scroll on which is written in Greek an intercessory prayer addressed to Christ by the Virgin herself for the admiral who dedicated the church to her. On the opposite side is a mosaic of King Roger II dressed as the Byzantine Emperor. He is shown here to emphasize that in 1098 Pope Urban II issued a decree to Count Roger I, according to which the rulers of Sicily had exclusive jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters. On the throne at the top of the dome, Christ the Almighty is depicted with his right hand raised in blessing and the Gospel in his left.