It is not exaggerated to call this an oasis. The little romanesque church, the XIII century cloister and the small garden make you forget that you are in one of the busiest cities of Italy.

It is not exaggerated to call this an oasis. The little romanesque church, the XIII century cloister and the small garden make you forget that you are in one of the busiest cities of Italy.
So Frommer's puts this in the top 3 things to visit when in Palermo. For the 6 euro's you pay, you see very little. Maybe it's worth 2 euro's and maybe not.
The garden with the fig trees, the many acanthus, the arums, the small beautiful cloister, the Byzantine cupolas, the stark interior, all pleased me.
Like San Cataldo, this little church is another Arab / Norman architectural fusion. Set in small but peaceful grounds (ruined cloisters) the four, pink Arab domes complement the austere Norman architecture perfectly. The interior, with its simple groin vaults, is elegant and beautiful. If you appreciate restraint and simplicity then this is a must. I recommend seeing this on the...
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There is rather little to see here. The ruins are well maintained, the cloisters are small and pleasant, and it is interesting to see the 5 red domes. However, there was little else to keep us here, although it was a complete contrast to the Baroque-fest elsewhere or the unmaintained ruins elsewhere in the city.
San Giovanni is a little oasis in the middle of the mad city, a lovely garden full of palms and pomegranates just metres from the insane Palermo traffic. The building has been renovated but they are now charging €6, which seems a little steep given that there's not really anything to see once you get inside. Like the other Arab-Norman...
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Completely closed for restoration and has been for quite a while. Nothing in any of the guidebooks though eg Eyewitness was updated recently while the site must have been "in restauro", and certainly nothing in the guides produced by the local tourist office. Of course these places have to be maintained and Italy has such a vast heritage that one...
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Debdancing is 100% right, and I can confirm this as I only live a few blocks away from San Giovanni Degli Eremiti. Though it gives you the feel of what lush, luxuriant Arab gardens were like back in the day (even if the structure was built during Norman times on the remains of an Islamic edifice) it is in dire...
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This Church is located in Via dei Benedettini. wedged in adjacent to the University. It is easily recognisable by the five Norman red domes. I especially wanted to visit this Church but it is currently closed for renovation. You are offered the chance to climb the belltower for a "panoramic view". This costs 1 euro. While I was happy I...
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This place was nothing what i thought it would be! I am glad i didnt bring my kids because they would of fallen asleep on the spot. The information the tour guides gave us had no interesting facts at all.It was a waste of money and time.
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