The Church of Martorana or Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, built in 1143, takes its particular name from the surname of Eloisa Martorana, a noblewoman who founded the convent of Benedictine nuns who received the sanctuary in 1433 from King Alfonso of Aragon. Fortunately and in spite of the alterations it underwent between the 16th and 17th centuries, the structure has preserved its Arab-Norman style. The church houses the most ancient Byzantine mosaics in the whole of Sicily and is among the most impressive medieval Byzantine churches in the region. It belongs to the Catholic Church, although it follows the Greek Orthodox rite.