Monastero di Santo Spirito

At the top of a set of steps off Via Atenea, this convent was founded by Cistercian nuns around 1290. A handsome Gothic portal leads inside, where the nuns are still in residence, praying, meditating and baking heavenly sweets, including cuscusu (sweet couscous made with local pistachios), dolci di mandorla (almond pastries) and conchigliette (shell-shaped marzipan sweets filled with pistachio paste). Press the doorbell and say 'Vorrei comprare qualche dolce' ('I'd like to buy a few sweets').