This 12th-century church in Arab-Norman style is one of Palermo's most striking buildings. With its dusky-pink bijou domes, solid square shape, blind arcading and delicate tracery, it illustrates perfectly the synthesis of Arab and Norman architectural styles. The interior, while more austere, is still beautiful, with its inlaid floor and lovely stone-and-brickwork in the arches and domes.
The building was founded in the 1150s by Maio of Bari (William I's emir of emirs, or chancellor), but Maio's murder in 1160 meant it was never finished – hence the lack of additional adornment within.
