The Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti is one of the most important religious buildings in the city. It dates back to 1136. It was fully restored in 1882.
San Giovanni degli Eremiti is a true monumental complex, built around a lush garden. It includes the Arab Hall, a piece of a 10th-century mosque and the cloister, which formed with the church part of a monastery.
The church, facing east, was built according to an Islamic architectural model.
The structure, in the form of a ‘commissa’ cross, i.e. T-shaped, develops the theme of the square (symbol of the earth) and the circle (symbol of the sky), represented by the red hemispherical domes, which together give rise to the Fatimid qubba (dome).
A stone’s throw from the Christian building you will find the Royal Palace, the historic market of Ballarò and Porta di Mazara, one of the ancient gates of Palermo.