Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolo l'Arena

The Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolo l'Arena stands on Piazza Dante in the Antico Corso quarter of Catania, Sicily, a ten-minute walk north-west of Piazza Duomo. It is one of the largest Benedictine complexes in Europe, founded in 1558. The 1669 eruption of Mount Etna buried parts of it in lava, the 1693 earthquake nearly razed it, and it was rebuilt in Baroque style over the following decades. From 1984 the architect Giancarlo De Carlo redesigned the complex for the University of Catania's Humanities department, so students now move through cloisters, libraries and classrooms set within the monastic fabric. The monastery is part of the UNESCO Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto listing. Guided visits show the two cloisters, the vast kitchens, the refectory, the grand staircases and the underground rooms where excavations expose Roman remains and lava flows below the building. Visitors can see how De Carlo mixed new steel, glass and bridges with the old stone, and a rooftop or garden terrace may be included depending on the tour. Visits are by schedule and must be booked through the operator, using the phone and WhatsApp number +39 334 9242464; evening underground tours cost EUR 12 (~$14) in May 2026, while the daytime guided-visit price should be confirmed with the operator. A tour usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Photographers favour the cloister arcades, the main staircase and the contrast between lava stone and De Carlo's modern additions. Crowds are small, as access is limited to guided groups, but tours can fill in spring and autumn. Because it is a working university, parts may be closed during exams or events, which makes advance booking important. Comfortable shoes are useful, as the route involves steps and long corridors.