CATANIA SIGHTS
The Benedictine Monastery
University Palace
One of the largest in Europe, is more like a palace
than a religious building, this is probably due to the
links of the monks with the nobility. In the Xvii cent. It
was one of the most important cultural centres in the
whole Sicily attracting many visitors. It is now the
Faculty of Literature and Philosophy of the University of Catania. It was built in 1558, but ipartially destroyed by the eruption of Mt Etna in 1669. After it
the was rebuilt, bigger, indeed, with its 10 acres
(now just 4,5 ) is the second largest Benedictine monastery in Europe. Today it has two beautiful cloisters. From the 2nd floor, you can reach the hanging
garden, “the novice garden” built on the lava flow of
1669, and the daily area of the monastery designed
by the architect G.B. Vaccarini. in this area we can
find the “Big Refectory”, the Library and the famous
kitchen;
It was founded in in 1434 by Alfonsus the Magnanimous. The Pope Eugenio IV authorized its constitution in 1444. The cpurses started in 14445. They were
held by 6 Teachers in Duomo Square. The actual
palace was built after the earthquake in 1696. its architects were Antonino Battaglia and Giovan Battista
Vaccarini, The building covers an entire block, like the
Town Hall, with a courtyard as Ia cloister. It originally
had four doors opening on the four sides of the palace. The Assembly Hall features a fresco by G.B. Piparo. The Library houses more than 200.000 volumes
and famous manuscripts.
Under the finely decorated kitchen tunnels were built
as foundations to support the north wing of the Monastery. Inside these tunnels there is the Museum
“Della Fabbrica”. In the Basement, the only area that
survived the earthquake, there is now a modern library. Inside, because of the presence of two roman
houses (one from the second century AD and the
other one from the second century BC), two thousand years of history live together in harmony. Today the building hosts the Department of Humanities
of the University of Catania; the project to adapt the
monastery to the needs of the University (with respect and carefulness, because of the importance of
the site) was designed in the ’70 by Giancarlo De
Carlo.
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