The church of San Cataldo and its neighbor, La Martorana, both overlook the Piazza Bellini but offer contrasting experiences. San Cataldo is modest on the outside, and its interior remains unfinished more than 850 years after its construction—but it is no less beautiful for that. La Martorana (also known as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio), on the other hand, is one of Palermo’s greatest remaining churches from the Middle Ages. The elaborate mosaics that decorate its interior are thought to have been created by the same artisans who created the Palatine Chapel.
