Church of the Santa Maria dei Greci

At a glance. A true jewel of the Historic Center, this church blends 2500 years of art and faiths. Did you know that walking on a glass floor you will see the foundations of Athena’s temple and from an underground passage six sections of Doric columns? Find it on the map and read more!

Good to know. The Church of Santa Maria dei Greci  is a true architectural jewel: a place where a Christian church and a Greek temple coexist, seamlessly blended by time. Situated in the ancient heart of the city, the church is named “dei Greci” because during the Byzantine era it served as a Greek-Orthodox place of worship, later standing as a steadfast bastion of Christian faith throughout the centuries of Arab rule.

The visitor experience at the Church of Santa Maria dei Greci has recently been enhanced with innovative, interactive, and multilingual digital tools, including AI-powered information kiosks, touchscreens, and virtual reality headsets. This technology removes cognitive barriers and offers all visitors a clear, intuitive way to understand the transformation of the building through the centuries.

The three-naved church stands upon the remains of a 5th-century BC temple traditionally attributed to Athena. Portions of the original Doric columns emerge from the walls, while glass floor panels reveal the ancient foundations below. A small, evocative underground corridor leads down to the basement, allowing visitors to view up close the steps of the ancient stylobate and the lower drums of six Doric columns.

Much like the Temple of Concordia, the ancient temple was likely adapted and converted into a Christian church during the 5th or 6th century AD. During the Arab period, it remained the epicenter of Christian worship for the local community. Following the Norman conquest, it served as a temporary cathedral until Bishop Gerland of Besançon completed the construction of the present-day Cathedral .

The building in its current form dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Preceded by a charming courtyard, it features a Gothic portal crowned by the coat of arms of the Pujades family, a wealthy Jewish family of Spanish origin who converted to Christianity in the 15th century and funded several important decorative elements within the church.

Particularly captivating are the painted wooden ceiling beams, which feature a refined composition of sacred images of saints, heraldic crests, scenes of daily life, and leafy vases. On the wall of the right aisle, traces remain of a precious 15th-century fresco depicting the family tree of King David, from whose lineage Jesus of Nazareth descended, rooted in the figure of the elderly Jesse depicted at the base. The painting illustrates key episodes from the life of the Virgin Mary, leading to Jesus, who is depicted at the center alongside the Madonna. Beyond the 15th-century fresco, visitors can admire a fine 16th-century wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child, as well as a 17^th century marble sarcophagus belonging to two Palermitan nobles.

Today, the church is not merely a place of worship, but an extraordinary monument that allows visitors to directly experience 2,500 years of layered history.