San Giovanni degli Eremiti

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

The architecture of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits) reflects the story of Palermo over the centuries—a monastery built in the 6th century, replaced by a mosque under the Arab occupation, replaced by a monastery for Benedictine monks under Norman rule in the 12th century, and standing today as an example of the Arab-Norman influence pervasive throughout Sicily. Take time to enjoy the quiet respite of the cloister, where a garden of fragrant citrus trees surrounds an Arab cistern.