Red domes and a cloister among palms and citrus trees
With its five red domes rising from a cubic building of bare stone, the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti is the most "oriental" image of Palermo. It was built by King Roger II around 1136 for a Benedictine monastery, on a site where a mosque probably stood, and it is part of the UNESCO Arab-Norman route.
Inside, the church is empty and austere, but the charm is outside: a garden of palms, lemon and orange trees, bougainvillea and papyrus leads to a small thirteenth century cloister with twin columns, one of the most peaceful corners of the city, just a few steps from the Palazzo dei Normanni.
Tip: combine it with the Palatine Chapel, a five-minute walk away; the red colour of the domes dates from a nineteenth century restoration, but the effect against the blue sky is unforgettable.
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