ChurchIf you have time
Chiesa della Magione
29 min on foot from the locker (2,2 km)
The story
La Magione was founded in 1191 by Matteo d’Aiello, chancellor of the kingdom, for Cistercian monks. A few years later Henry VI handed it to the Teutonic Order, which stayed for centuries: hence the name, the knights’ "magione", their house.
It is a Norman church with three apses, its front articulated by pointed arches, and a cloister alongside. The plainness is that of late Norman architecture, with no mosaics.
The bombing of 1943 devastated the area; the church was restored and now stands in an open green space.
Why it is worth it
It is the quietest piece of the Middle Ages in the Kalsa. The three tiers of arches on the front can be read at a glance, and the cloister beside it is a rectangle of slim columns and shade. Around it is a quarter in the middle of change: the oldest building here is also the most silent.
Leave your bags here and travel light
Self-service locker at Via Villareale 31, opened with your booking code.
Book a locker