Charming Wedding Venues: An Ancient Benedictine Monastery in Catania

One of the latest trends in wedding venues is… the university, especially for those couples who met during college and want to celebrate their wedding where they met. Leading the trend are New York’s Columbia University and the University of California at Berkeley.

In Italy, the University of Catania has recently opened its doors, or better those of the Benedictine Monastery that houses the Department of Humanities.

A jewel of late Sicilian Baroque, it is one of the biggest Benedictine complex in Europe and a location of great beauty and charm. Located in the city center, only 10 minutes from the Duomo of Catania, it was built in the 16th century and includes a Roman domus, cloisters and gardens. It is  known as the Monastero di San Nicolò l'Arena.  

One can choose which venues within the monastery to rent, from the gardens and courtyards, starting at 300 euros, to the Chiostro di Levante (East Cloister) and the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden), for prices ranging from 600 to 2,000 euros.

The Monastery also organizes guided visits every day for those visitors who want to learn about its history and how it is connected to the history of Catania.

The University of Catania was founded in 1434. It is the oldest university in Sicily.

To learn more about the Monastery, click here.