"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."
The Essential Guide to Palermo
