Catania

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One of the most fascinating places in the monastic complex is the Giardino dei Novizi (Garden of Novices).
A place that perhaps more than any other inside the complex has suffered great damage and changes, but was also excellently restored by the architect Giancarlo De Carlo , who worked on restoring the entire monastery just over thirty years ago.
The Garden of Novices, as its name suggests, was reserved for those who were undertaking their spiritual journey to become part of the religious order. They were required to observe and learn the Benedictine way of life. The garden was created on top of the lava bed of 1669 in the guise of a hanging garden, but was destroyed to house a gymnasium over the course of the 20th century.
The gymnasium was demolished during the years of restoration of the complex. The architect De Carlo restored the area by adding a spiral staircase with modern shapes and a fountain, turning it into a green space open to all.
giardino dei novizi

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The expansion of space and changing reality

The interior and works of art

Palazzo Trigona di Canicarao

Palazzo della Cancelleria: from former stable to the Nicastro family

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A Nobel Prize in Modica

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The two churches

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The triumph of Baroque: expansion of spaces

A stone garden

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The senses tell the Church of San Domenico

The Church of St. Julian on Via dei Crociferi

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The interior of the church: space and colour

The senses tell the Church of San Michele

The Antonino Uccello Birthplace Museum

The senses tell the Cathedral of San Giorgio

The freedom of worship and the Catholic Church’s role in the diffusion of Baroque

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The works in the church

The Church of Madonna della Stella

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The eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and the Church of San Nicolò l’Arena

The Benedictines’ library

The beginning of an authentic Baroque conception

St. Agatha and the candelore

The church and the college

The city palace

Luminous sacred spaces

The articulated interior spaces

Verticality and dynamism of the façade of the Church of San Carlo

The new roads of the city

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The senses tell about Palazzo Beneventano

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The smallest Greek theatre in the world

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Religious architecture

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The Franciscan convent

The Monte delle Prestanze in the new city layout

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The Staircase of Angels

Baroque creativity: recurring themes

The city within the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Zacco

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The Church of St. Mary of the Mountain

The Church of St. Benedict

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San Domenico and Gagliardi’s work

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The church and the monastery

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The art of maiolica

Fountain of the Nymph Zizza: public water in the town

Baroque and the loss of balance in the 16th century