The Benedictine Monastery of Catania
Tourist information Office
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 172 -95131 Catania
Tel. +39.095.742.5573
Fax: +39.095.742.5515
GPS coordinates: 37.5029560237711, 15.088611245155334
E mail: bureau.turismo@comune.catania.it
Opening from Monday to Saturday: 8:00-18:30
Accommodation
Sheraton Catania hotel & conference centre ****
Via Antonello da Messina, 45, 95021 Aci Castello CT
Tel. +39.095.7114111
Hotel Four Spa ****S
Via Nazionale, 114, Aci Castello - Catania
Tel. +39.095.491932
UNA Hotel ****
Via Etnea, 218, 95131 Catania
+39.095.250 5111
Agathae Hotel***
Via Etnea, 229, 95124 Catania
+39.095.250 0436
The Benedictine Monastery of Catania was founded in 1558 by monks
cassinesi. In the seventeenth century its structure was changed by two
tragical events: the terrible lava flow of 1669 and the catastrophic
earthquake of 1693. In March 1669, Etna starts its eruption. Casting reaches
the walls of the city around the end of April, leading up to the walls of the
century monastery. The city had been using defence walls to divert the river
of fire. The monastery is saved, but not the church attached to it, which is
shattered by the arrival of the casting.
In 1687 began the reconstruction of the church attached. The Monastery of
the sixteenth century consisted of a basement, used as a cellar and storage of
food and cuisine; and two floors used to house the monks' cells, the chapter,
the refectory, the library and the parlour as well as the cloister dei Marmi.
In the night between 10 and 11 January 1693 Catania trembles. The
earthquake of 1693 is considered one of the most devastating natural
disasters in eastern Sicily: the Val di Noto is razed. According to experts the
tremors reached magnitude 7.7 on the Richter scale. In the aftermath of the
earthquake the city is destroyed and most of the people of Catania is buried
under the rubble.
Monastery of the sixteenth century remains intact basement and the first
floor. The cloister remain erected 14 columns other fall down and break.
Since 1702 began the reconstruction and the Monastery is repopulated by
monks from other monasteries. Larger than the plant primeval: the Cloister
dei Marmi is added to the Cloister of Levante, with the garden and the
Caffeaos in eclectic style, and the north with the spaces to day life and
collective life of the monks: the library, the kitchens, the 'wing of the
novitiate, the refectory, the chorus of night.
It exploits the lava bench to achieve the two roof gardens, the Botanical
Gardens and the garden of the Novices. The church of St. Nicholas Arena,
adjacent to the new monastic complex remains unfinished in the main
façade. Larger, decorated, altered, the monastery became one of the largest
monasteries in Europe, second, between those of the Benedictine order, only
to that of Mafra in Portugal.
Starting from 1868 most of the spaces werw rearranged for "civil" uses.
These were mainly schools, including the most famous was the Regio Istituto
Carlo Gemmellaro, but is also allocated to the Military Barracks and the
Astrophysical Observatory with the laboratory of Meteorology and
Geodynamics. The new uses caused a series of profound changes that the
Monastery suffered despite its recognition, the Unification of Italy, as a
National Monument. Erased most of the frescoes, divided the hallways, roofs,
loft, introduced accretions to make room for offices, gyms, latrines. The
Botanical Garden of almost 5 acres is divided up to house the pavilions of the
new hospital dedicated to the king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele.
The Church of St. Nicholas who lives his last moment of glory with the Rector
Della Marra, appointed personally by Cardinal Dusmet, becomes good of
worship then in use of the City of Catania. The sacristy, also built by Vaccarini,
welcomes Shrine dedicated to the fallen of the two wars. Only the beautiful
monastic library is spared. The book collection of the monks, which includes
gorgeous herbaria, sixteenth and illuminated bibles, plus the collections of
other orders abolished and private. “The Public United Libraries Ursino
Recupero” today are made up of three main areas: the reading room built
inside the museum of the Benedictines, the circular conference room, and
the sumptuous Sala Vaccarini.
In 1977 as part of the redevelopment of the historic center of the city, the
city of Catania gives the Benedictine Monastery at the University of Catania,
which destines him to the seat of the historical Faculty of Humanities. Since
2002 it becomes a World Heritage Site that UNESCO identifies as a
representative of the late baroque of south-eastern Sicily.