The church of San Cataldo (built in 1160) represents an architectural masterpiece, a notable example of formal syncretic elaboration conceived by Islamic masters in accordance with Western-Romanesque style. It was a chapel in a complex of buildings that have been destroyed, which belonged to Maione da Bari, Grand Chancellor and later Grand Admiral of the kingdom under King William I (from 1154 to 1160).
The building is externally animated by recessed blind arches that frame the three single lancet windows on each side. The main apse alone is as high as the whole building. The church has three domes that cover the central part, set on a low continuous drum in which small windows are open.
The rectangular interior, vaguely centralized with the presence of four columns, is marked by the three domes that identify the three square bays of the central nave. The short side aisles are covered by cross vaults. The bare walls, devoid of any decoration, enhance the architectural clarity of the church, enhanced by the corner columns of the sanctuary and pointed arches supported by columns, some of which are bare.
The opus sectile floor is the only example of the time of William I - the presence of Islamic craftsmen capable of interpreting in a new and original way the oriental tradition of Byzantine origin. The church, now used exclusively for tourism, since 1937 belongs to the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
Ticket price for the San Cataldo Church
Regular ticket price: € 2,50
Reduced ticket price: € 1,50 (for students, for groups over 10 persons)
Working hours of the San Cataldo Church
The Church is open from Monday to Sunday from 09:30am to 12:30pm (last entrance at 12:00pm) and from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (last entrance at 5:30pm).
