Sant’Agostino e chiostro

The story

The church of Sant’Agostino was founded at the end of the 13th century by the Augustinians, with the support of the Chiaramonte and Sclafani families, two of the most powerful houses of medieval Palermo. The façade keeps its Gothic portal and the great carved-stone rose window from the 14th century.

A side portal from the workshop of Domenico Gagini was added in the 15th century. Between 1711 and 1729 the interior was transformed with stucco work by Giacomo Serpotta, who covered the walls with figures and putti. The 16th-century cloister keeps its columns and capitals around a small garden.

The church gives its name to the street and faces the Capo market, which every morning surrounds it with stalls, voices and the smell of fish and fruit.

Why it is worth it

You come in from the chaos of the market and step into a cloister where all you hear is water. That contrast is what makes Sant’Agostino special. Before going in, stop at the rose window: every spoke is carved differently. Inside, look up at Serpotta’s stucco, white and weightless, and spot the figures that seem to lean out of their frames to watch you.