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 same day as visiting the, roughly contemporary, Capella Palatina with its sumptuous mosaics. They complement each other perfectly.

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 buildings in Palermo, it looks much more impressive from outside. Worth a stop if you want a break from pounding the streets and dodging scooters...