Monastero delle Benedettine

Top choice in Catania


The Monastero delle Benedettine covers two adjacent sites: a Benedictine convent and the Chiesa di San Benedetto. Top billing goes to the church, built between 1704 and 1713 and adorned with splendid stucco, marble and a late-18th-century altar made of Sicilian jasper. Standout artworks include Giovanni Tuccari's glorious ceiling frescoes and a graphic depiction of St Agatha being tortured in front of a curious sultan.

A cumulative ticket (€9) is available and includes a one-hour guided tour of the nearby Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l'Arena, one of Europe's largest monastic complexes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Catania attractions

1. Arco di San Benedetto

0.01 MILES

The Arco di San Benedetto is an arch built by the Benedictines in 1704. According to legend, it was built in one night to defy a city ordnance against its…

2. Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia

0.02 MILES

Old and new conspire at MACS, a compact, contemporary-art museum inside an 18th-century abbey of the Monastery of St Benedict. Occupying two floors, the…

3. Via Crociferi

0.04 MILES

A lovely, tranquil spot for a morning stroll, Via Crociferi is one of Catania's most attractive streets, famous for its exuberant baroque churches and…

4. Museo Belliniano

0.05 MILES

One of Italy's great opera composers, Vincenzo Bellini was born in Catania in 1801. The house he grew up in has since been converted into this museum,…

5. Museo Emilio Greco

0.05 MILES

The Museo Emilio Greco hosts a large collection of sketches by renowned Italian artist Emilio Greco (1913–1995), whose work is marked by a sensual, erotic…

6. Chiesa di San Giuliano

0.07 MILES

Attributed to Sicilian baroque maestro Vaccarini and built between 1739 and 1751, the Chiesa di San Giuliano features an elegant convex facade and, above…

7. Parco Archeologico Greco Romano

0.08 MILES

West of Piazza del Duomo lie Catania's most impressive ancient ruins: the remains of a 2nd-century Roman Theatre and its small rehearsal theatre, the…

8. Palazzo dell'Università

0.12 MILES

Flanking the western edge of Piazza dell'Università, this handsome palazzo includes a courtyard designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini. The building…