San Cataldo
Like the adjacent Martorana, San Cataldo was founded by an admiral, Maio Bari, who was murdered by Matthew Bonellus of Caccamo
in November 1160.
The church was dedicated to St Cataldus a fifth century Irish
saint who became bishop of Taranto. During the eighteenth century
the church was used as a post
office, until restored in the nineteenth when the 3 red domes were
added.
Description
In style the church looks rather like Zisa in it's square
aspect with 3 windows on each side surrounded by blind arcading as well
as the finely carved ledge running around the summit. Otherwise
the style is Byzantine with 3 apses to the east before
a dome over the crossing. The interior is a typical mixture
of Norman plainness mixed with Arab ogival vaults and Byzantine blind
arches pierced by ogival windows. The nave has 2 aisles with
spolia columns and Byzantine arcades and floor mosaics. Beneath
the church is the ancient city wall. Within the decoration is
gone apart from the floor and the ancient Corinthian capitals on their
equally ancient 4 columns.
Why not join me here and at other Sicilian
castles? Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2019
Paul Martin Remfry
