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The city of Palermo is quite a surprise. You think you got to know all of its pockets, but right then and there something emerges out of nowhere and dazzles you with beauty and sheer magnificence. Working your way into the world of the city you will find the local, usually self-taught history buff or folklorist, someone who loves the city and who typically has spent years documenting everything there is to know about it. This person will exhaustively update your information and will surely make you head right to that spectacular church or fascinating palace that he or her was talking about so passionately.

It is kind of difficult to enclose all there is to know about the exciting ancient era, the hectic middle ages and the history of the Two Sicilies. Not only the legacy of Palermo is worthy of attention but present life also. Despite the fact that Palermo is a small city, the diversity from north to south and east to west is impressive. Trying to make sense of these differences is what will keep you here.

By looking into the evolution of the city, you will stumble upon several names that marked the local historic trajectory. These are the names of baronial families that had sufficient power and the enviable authoritativeness to demand execution of their own projects. Luckily, most of them are present statements of architectural styles and trends of the time which bring you a little closer to the vibe that dominated former periods.

One example of noble family that financed the construction of a spectacular building is La Grua. It was a powerful Sicilian family and at its behest, the Church of Saint Augustine was erected. This amazing construction on via Francesco Raimondi is a token of the Romanesque Gothic architectural style that locally bears the name of Chiaramonte Gothic. It dates from the 14th century, but following centuries brought about extensive work on the structure and also a reformation of the interior which received clear Baroque features.

Mediaeval characteristics are embedded in the façade, main entrance and the cloister from the right side of the church.
The Catalan Gothic style is quite obviously spread all over the cloister that embraces a central fountain. The wall near the side entrance reserves a special place to a Roman tomb that serially stimulates the touristic curiosity.

The location of the church is just the right one. It is situated near Capo Market that succeeds in reproducing the Saracen vibe. This historic center gets quite hectic when buyers meet the vendors and create mass effervescence.

Unlike the Church of Saint Augustine, other ecclesiastic bowers are better preserved and therefore make a much more visitation venue. Nevertheless, this church bolsters with uniqueness and it is definitely worth full attention.