Chiesa di San Cataldo

San Cataldo is a church building in Palermo. It is close to the city center on the south side of the Piazza Bellini next to the church of La Martorana and is dedicated to St. Cataldo.

The church was from 1154-1160 under Maio of Bari, the Grand Admiral King Wilhelm I, as his private chapel built. She is one of the last churches in Sicily in the Arab- Norman style.

On the cube-shaped building whose facades are decorated with blind arches and only in its upper part, have small windows, sitting in the longitudinal axis of three semi- spherical domes each on a cylindrical drum with windows. Such a construction was at that time common in Apulia, home Maios so that these churches were probably the model for San Cataldo. In contrast to the originally conceived as a centrally planned church of La Martorana San Cataldo was therefore designed from the outset as a long building. The upper edge of the cube construction is decorated with an ornamental Sins and a circumferential band with Kufic script.

The interior of the church has three naves. The vessels are separated from each other by semicircular arches, resting on antique columns with Corinthian capitals. The walls are made of carefully grouted stones that are openly visible. For the Arab- Norman style typical elements include the inset in the wall corner pile and the transitions to the main cylinder dome in the form of a simple muqarnas with graded pointed arches.

At the door, and in the central apse shows the icon of the Knights is attached by the Holy grave, which includes the church today.

San Cataldo is also a popular church for weddings.