Palermo

 Continuing our exploration of Piazza Bellini, we visited the church of La Martorama (officially called Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio).  According to Rick it "is a jewel box slathered in Byzantine-Norman mosaics—the oldest in Sicily.  The core of the church dates from the 12th century.  Over the centuries, the original church was enlarged with a Baroque extension at the front and back."   Walking up the nave, you can’t miss where you step from the Baroque extension into the gilded mosaic-clad original core of the church.  (Baroque is on the right, mosaics on the left in this picture.)

More pictures from inside the church:  

Right beside this church is the church of San Calaldo.  Sicily was transitioning from Arab to Norman rule in the 12th century, and this church blends both styles of architecture. The solid Norman walls are lightened with the three round, red, Arab-inspired domes on top.