Sacred Destinations
A richly illustrated guide to the world's sacred places,
historic religious sites, sacred art and religious architecture.

Santa Caterina, Palermo

Santa Caterina, Palermo
Photo Creative Commons License Cate Fuller.

Piazza Pretoria
Dome of Santa Caterina behind Piazza Pretoria. Photo Creative Commons License Cate Fuller.


The Sicilian Baroque interior. Photo Creative Commons License Cate Fuller.


Tomb in Santa Caterina. Photo Creative Commons License Cate Fuller.



Although begun in 1566, most of the internal decoration of Santa Caterina in Palermo dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.

A powerful example of Sicilian Baroque, it overwhelms the senses with colors, textures, sculpture and marble inlay.

There are illusionistic ceiling frescoes (18th century) by Filippo Randazzo in the nave and Vito d'Anna in the dome.

The church is flanked by Piazza Pretorio, which is dominated by the huge Mannerist Fontana Pretorio (1544), currently being restored.

Quick Facts

Names: Chiesa di Santa Caterina; Church of St. Catherine
Type of site: Church
Faith: Roman Catholic
Status: Closed for restoration
Dates: 1566
Architecture: Baroque
Location: Piazza Pretoria, Palermo, Sicily

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Santa Caterina. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Palermo Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Article Sources

  1. Eyewitness Travel Guide to Italy
  2. The Rough Guide to Italy 7



Sacred Destinations Home    Contact Us    About Us    About Images    Advertise    Spiritual Tours    Timeshares    Blog    Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-09 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our daily photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites
Popular sites: Easter Island, Lourdes, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Oberammergau Passion Play, Shroud of Turin 2010, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Stonehenge
Popular destinations: Rome, Rome Map, Ravenna, Ephesus, Assisi, Paris, Jerusalem
Our stock photo site: Sacred Destinations Photography