La Martorana (Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio)

La Martorana, formally Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, stands on Piazza Bellini in the historic centre of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. It was founded in 1143 by Admiral George of Antioch, a Greek Christian from Syria who served as chief minister to King Roger II. The church was built as a Greek Orthodox foundation and its interior was decorated by Byzantine craftsmen, making it one of the finest surviving examples of the cultural blend of Norman Sicily. In 1433 it was given to a Benedictine convent founded by Eloisa Martorana, from whom the popular name derives, and the nuns later became famous for making marzipan fruit, known as frutta martorana. The earliest part of the church is the central domed space with its gold-ground mosaics. The dome shows Christ Pantocrator surrounded by angels and prophets, while the walls hold scenes of the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Dormition of the Virgin. Among the most important panels are two portraits: Admiral George kneeling at the feet of the Virgin, and Roger II being crowned by Christ, an image that expressed the king's claim to rule by divine right. Later centuries altered the church. The Baroque interior of the nave and the facade, added in the 16th and 17th centuries, hide much of the original Norman plan, and the Norman bell tower remains as a three-storey landmark with its arched openings. The mosaics have been restored several times and are generally in good condition. La Martorana is one of the nine components of the UNESCO World Heritage site Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale, inscribed in 2015. It is still used for Greek Catholic services of the Byzantine rite, and visitors should treat it as an active church. The location next to San Cataldo makes it easy to see both in one visit.