The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was built from 1255 to 1277, but its interior was redesigned several times from the fifteenth century. The church was badly damaged during the Second World War and restored after the war on the model of Sant'Agostino (Palermo).
Founded between 1154 and 1160, the church of San Cataldo was later entrusted to the Benedictines of Monreale, who kept it until 1787. It is a building of Arab-Norman style classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Martorana or Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio was built in the 12th century in the Arab-Norman style. Despite numerous restructuring and renovation, the Martorana is known for having incredibly well preserved 12th-century Byzantine mosaics. It is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 2015.
The church of San Giorgio dei Genovesi was built between 1575 and 1596 by the Piedmontese architect Giorgio Di Faccio for the Genoese merchants of Palermo. The exterior is dominated by forms and styles of Tuscan origin, while the interior shows the union of Byzantine and Norman art. Inside the building, numerous tombstones bear witness to the competition between the wealthiest Genoese families to gain prestigious recognition in the Church of the Nation. Among those buried in the church is Sofonisba Anguissola (1532 - 1625), a woman painter famous for her portraits of the court of Philip II of Spain.
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