Towering Beauty

The bell tower of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, affectionately known as “La Martorana,” rises above Palermo’s Piazza Bellini. Over the centuries this beloved church has been architecturally modified many times; however in-keeping with its native charm.

It was commissioned in the 1140s by Admiral George of Antioch and originally built in the renowned Arab-Norman style. This bell tower was built in 1840 in a Romanesque style. “Saint Mary’s of the Admiral” is one site of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale.”

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