The current Chiesa di San Domenico was built in 1640 following the design of architect Andrea Cirrincione; the facade was added in 1726 after the buildings that once occupied the square were demolished to give the church some space. Entered from the left side of the nave, the beautiful 13th-century cloister dates from the original Dominican monastery that stood on the site.
Italian VIPs have been buried in the Chiesa di San Domenico since the Middle Ages; among the tombs and cenotaphs of notable Sicilians, you'll find the names of parliamentarian Ruggero Settimo, painter Pietro Novelli, former Italian prime minister Francesco Crispi and anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone. The 15th-century reliefs decorating the holy-water stouts by the entrance – which depic the Arrival of the Dominicans in Palermo and the Benediction of the Church respectively – survive from the original church. Other highlights include Giovan Paolo Fondulli's notable painting Crucifixion (1573) in the second chapel on the right, as well as the elaborate inlaid marble in the chapel beside it.
