The Martorana or Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (1143) another fine example of the cultural blend in Sicily, primarily Byzantine but the tile floor work is decidedly Arabesque with that wonderful geometry. This was built during the tumultuous years around the Great Occidental Schism that was a big deal at the time, here you'll see King Roger II being crowned by Christ himself which was his way of saying he didn't need the Pope. ⁣

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I can't get enough of the cultural blending in Sicily, I guess because so much of the world is so separate and seemingly opposed today. ⁣

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But most interesting to me about the Martorana is the tradition of the nuns in the abbey next door making marzipan shaped fruits, today you can see these everywhere and they are so incredibly realistic, they always have slight imperfections like discoloration or bruising which makes them look more lifelike, but they are known as 𝘍𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘢 because here is where it all started.