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Churches of Palermo

Page Three
Tom planned to go to all these churches to admire all the different types of architecture. This was his favorite, SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI EREMITI - St. John of the Hermits .Here he is in the Cloister Garden of the Church. This is where the Monks would retreat for meditation.
The pillars in the garden made of some sort of stone. The Cloister garden is in the Romanesque style.
It was built upon an existing Mosque, that explains the Arabic cupolas. The Normans took control from the Arabs, but to have peace, allowed alot of the Arabic styles to remain.
Built in 1130 by Roger 11 for the Benedictine Order. It contained both Norman and Arab Construction. The Normans brought christianity to Sicily.
This is the Bell Tower, the only Norman part of the church with Gothic lines.
This is the interior of the church, was very austere.
Here Tom is by the water well. There was places in the garden where we could see where the underground water supply ran thru the garden. For hundreds of years Palermo's water was supplied by underground aqueducts.
CHIESA SANTA MARIA DELLA PIETA Santa Maria of Mercy - First Palermo Church to be Baroque style. Built in 1684. Here we met 2 nice Italians that were volunteering to watch the church and collect offerings.We asked if they knew any Marchese's, they said it was very popular name there. Alot of them.
ST. MARY'S OF THE ADMIRAL CHURCH- MARTORANA - Built in 1143 at the behest of the Admiral of King Roger 11. It was Greek Orthodox during Norman rule, later converted to Roman Catholic in 1300's. This is a picture of the very ornate ceiling.,
CHURCH OF JESUS - CHIESA DEL GESU. This is Baroque style and built by Jesuits in 1500's. It was damaged in WW 11, then restored. It was very ornate.On the left is the beautiful church dome with Cross.
SANTA MARIA DELLA CATENA - St. Mary's of the Chains. This is the church built right at the pillars of the city entrance that CHAINS were hung to keep turkish pirates out.This is at the very end of Via Vittoria Emmanuele. That main street that our ancestors used. Built in 1400's, Gothic and Renaissance style.
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