Santa Caterina Church, Palermo, Italy

The Church of Saint Catherine (Chiesa di Santa Caterina) is a synthesis of Sicilian Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance styles.

In 1310 the last will of the rich Benvenuta Mastrangelo determined the foundation of a female monastery under the direction of the Dominican Order. The new monastery was dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and was erected in the area where the old palace of George of Antioch, admiral of Roger II of Sicily, stood.

In 1532 the widening of the building was decided. Between 1566 and 1596 the church was rebuilt under the supervision of the Mother Prioress Maria del Carretto. The church was inaugurated on 24 November 1596.

During the 19th century the church was damaged on several occasions: during the uprising of 1820-1821, the Sicilian revolution of 1848, the Gancia revolt, the insurrection of Palermo (1860) and the Sette e mezzo revolt (1866).

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

Antonio Marino (8 months ago)
One of the must see in Palermo. Worth the 3 tickets price: Church + Monastery + Roof. Amazing view of Palermo from the roof that is accessed through a peculiar way and stairs. The Cloister is also well kept and it's the perfect spot to enjoy the most delicious pastry tried in Palermo, prepared with the ancient recipes from the nouns who, not long ago, were still living in the Monastery.

Agata Napierała (8 months ago)
For 10 euro you can see everything here. There are also other cheaper options. The rooftop view is amazing. You can buy here tasty pastries and marzipan for a good price.

cecilia giraldi (8 months ago)
Stunning, both the church itself and the rooftops

Rita Sport (8 months ago)
Beautiful view from the top! I recommend going there for sunset and staying until it's dark and enjoy the view at night.

Kuala Bound (11 months ago)
Lovely church built in a way enabling many nuns from the monastery to follow the mass from a superior corridor running around. By the way there is still someone continuing the old tradition of preparing cakes the way the nuns did. What a pity the terrace is open only at weekends.

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Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

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