Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l'Arena

Catania

This is one of Europe's largest monasteries and an example of the wealth enjoyed by the Benedictine order. Built in 1703 and now part of the city university, it's home to two grand internal cloisters and one of Sicily's most important libraries. Engaging daily guided tours visit the cloisters and library, as well as other areas usually closed to the public. Alternatively, you can view the cloisters on your own from the surrounding corridors. Not all the tours are in English, so call ahead to confirm English-language tour times.

Two tickets are available: the first (adult/reduced €9/3.50) includes entry to the Monastero delle Benedettine, while the second (adult/reduced €14/4.50) also includes access to the Museo Diocesano and its subterranean Roman baths.

Contact

Address

Piazza Dante 32

Get In Touch

095 710 27 67

https://www.monasterodeibenedettini.it/

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Teatro Greco
26.7 MILES
Taormina's premier sight is this perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, with Mt Etna looming on the southern horizon. Built in…
Monastero delle Benedettine
0.26 MILES
The Monastero delle Benedettine covers two adjacent sites: a Benedictine convent and the Chiesa di San Benedetto. Top billing goes to the church, built…
Teatro Massimo Bellini
0.55 MILES
Completed in 1890 and made for homegrown composer Vincenzo Bellini, Catania's opera house is suitably lavish, from the stucco-and-marble extravagance of…
La Pescheria
0.42 MILES
Catania's raucous fish market, which takes over the streets behind Piazza del Duomo every workday morning, is pure street theatre. Tables groan under the…
Corso Umberto I
26.53 MILES
Taormina's chief delight is wandering this pedestrian-friendly, boutique-lined thoroughfare. Start at the tourist office in Palazzo Corvaja, which dates…
Piazza del Duomo
0.42 MILES
A Unesco World Heritage Site, Catania's central piazza is a set piece of contrasting lava and limestone, surrounded by buildings in the unique local…
Monte Tauro
26.67 MILES
The short climb to the top of Monte Tauro (378m) is not exactly Himalayan, but it is steep and the final steps are quite hard work. Your reward is a…
Funivia dell'Etna
14.27 MILES
Funivia dell'Etna runs a cable car from Rifugio Sapienza (1920m) up the mountain to 2500m. Once out of the cable car you can attempt the long walk (3½ to…

View more attractions

Nearby Catania attractions

1. Parco Archeologico Greco Romano

0.24 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…

2. Museo Belliniano

0.26 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,…

3. Monastero delle Benedettine

0.26 MILES

The Monastero delle Benedettine covers two adjacent sites: a Benedictine convent and the Chiesa di San Benedetto. Top billing goes to the church, built…

4. Museo Emilio Greco

0.26 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…

5. Via Crociferi

0.27 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…

6. Arco di San Benedetto

0.27 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…

7. Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia

0.28 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…

8. Chiesa di San Giuliano

0.28 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…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "italy/sicily/catania/attractions/monastero-dei-benedettini-di-san-nicolo-l-arena/a/poi-sig/1378088/360005",
  "destination": "Catania",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Italy",
  "region": "Sicily",
  "city": "Catania",
  "position": "superzone"
}