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The Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena in Catania,
The monastery was founded in 1558. Dedicated to San Nicola di Bari, the suffix of Arena (sand) derived from the volcanic sand present in the area.
The monastery complex is located in the historical centre of the city of Catania, alongside the church of San Nicolò l'Arena. The structure integrates architectural styles from various centuries. Although founded in the 16th century, two natural disasters in the 17th century required major reconstruction. The 
In 1977 the monastery was donated to the
The Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena in Catania, Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
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is a former Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery, located on Piazza Dante 30 in the city of Catania, region of Sicily, Italy. After the Mafra
Mafra is a Czech media group that publishes printed and internet media, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It is a subsidiary of Agrofert holding conglomerate owned by trust of Andrej Babiš, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Repu ...
, this abbey is the second largest Benedictine monastery in Europe. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
(as a part of Val di Noto
Val di Noto (English: ''Province of Noto'') is a historical and geographical area encompassing the south-eastern third of Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Hyblaean plateau. Historically, it was one of the three valli of Sicily.
History
...
World Heritage Site), and houses the Department of Humanities of the University of Catania
The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...
.
History and Description
The monastery was founded in 1558. Dedicated to San Nicola di Bari, the suffix of Arena (sand) derived from the volcanic sand present in the area.
The monastery complex is located in the historical centre of the city of Catania, alongside the church of San Nicolò l'Arena. The structure integrates architectural styles from various centuries. Although founded in the 16th century, two natural disasters in the 17th century required major reconstruction. The 1669 Etna eruption
Events January–March
* January 2 – Pirate Henry Morgan of Wales holds a meeting of his captains on board his ship, the former Royal Navy frigate ''Oxford'', and an explosion in the ship's gunpowder supply kills 200 of his crew an ...
surrounded the city of Catania with lava, widening the coast for more than 1 km, and the lands of the monastery too. While the monastery was not destroyed by the lava, the surrounding azquired a level of lava stone 12 meters high. The 1693 Sicily earthquake
The 1693 Sicily earthquake struck parts of southern Italy near Sicily, Calabria, and Malta on January 11 at around 21:00 local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9. The main quake had an estimated magnitude of 7 ...
, also called the Val di Noto earthquake, and the following tsunami ravaged the entire east coast of Sicily and Catania. Like nearly the entire city, the monastery was nearly razed and the only the basement floors survived.
In 1702 the rebuilding started and lasted until 1866 (when the new Reign of Italy confiscated the monastery). The present monastery was rebuilt atop the original structure, with an added new cloister (the eastern cloister) and a new area (the large part designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini
Giovanni Battista Vaccarini (3 February 1702 – 11 March 1768) was a Sicilian architect, notable for his work in the Sicilian Baroque style in his homeland during the period of massive rebuilding following the earthquake of 1693. Many of his pri ...
) on the top of the lava bench.
In 1977 the monastery was donated to the University of Catania
The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...
, which restored the entire structure; in 1984 Giancarlo De Carlo
Giancarlo De Carlo (12 December 1919 − 4 June 2005) was an Italian architect.
Biography
Giancarlo De Carlo was born in Genoa, Liguria, in 1919. In 1939, he enrolled at the Milan Polytechnic, where he graduated in engineering in 1943. Duri ...
started to design the entire restoration work.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monastery of San Nicolo l'Arena Monasteries in Sicily Buildings and structures in Catania World Heritage Sites in Italy