Monastero dei Benedettini

The Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena in Catania, Sicily, is the second biggest benedectine monastery in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Marble Cloister corresponds to the original square plan of the monastery founded in 1558 which today it hosts the Department of Humanities of the University of Catania.

The monastery complex is located in the historical centre of the city of Catania, with the church of San Nicolò l’Arena. It shows architectonical integration of many styles through different centuries. Although the monastery was founded in XVI century was modified by two natural disasters in XVII century. In 1669 the Etna eruption surrounded the city of Catania, widening the cost for more then 1 km, and the monastery too. So the monastery was not destroyed by the lava but the area around was completely modified by a lava bench 12 meters high.

Then, in 1693 the earthquake of Val di Noto destroyed the entire east-cost in Sicily and Catania too. The monastery was terribly damaged and the only floor that survived was the basement. In 1702 the rebuilding started and lasted until 1866 (when the new Reign of Italy confiscated the monastery). The original monastery was rebuilt on the top of the latter and they added a new cloister (the eastern cloister) and a new area (the large part designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini) on the top of the lava bench. In 1977 the monastery was donated to the University of Catania that restored the entire structure; in 1984 Giancarlo De Carlo started to design the entire restoration work.