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Catania: The Latest Architecture and News

Revisiting 2025: 20 Classic Projects and Defining Stories in Architecture

Every architectural project is the result of deliberate choices. Beyond form and function, buildings embody technical, political, and cultural decisions that shape their relationship with both their surroundings and the people who inhabit them. ArchDaily’s AD Narratives series explores these processes by bringing together accounts that trace projects from initial conception to built realization. In parallel, the AD Classics series turns to works of historical significance, presenting not only the stories behind these buildings but also technical drawings that allow for a deeper, more informed reading of their architecture.

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An Epic of Fire and Stone: The Story Behind the Intervention at the Benedictine Monastery of Catania, Sicily

The Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena in Catania, Sicily, holds within its stones the echoes of five centuries, shaped by time, varied uses, violent earthquakes, and the blazing force of Mount Etna. Its walls, silent witnesses to history, were molded both by the fire of nature and by human hands. Yet among all the transformations it underwent, none was as profound or poetic as the one led by Italian architect Giancarlo De Carlo, starting in 1980. After 30 years of dedicated work, time required to truly understand such a complex and awe-inspiring site, the former monastic residence was reborn as a university, not by force, but through revelation.

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CCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura

CCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - Exterior Photography, Houses, Facade
Courtesy of ACA Amore Campione Architettura

CCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - Exterior Photography, HousesCCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - Interior Photography, Houses, StairsCCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - Interior Photography, Houses, Facade, Handrail, StairsCCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - Interior Photography, Houses, Facade, StairsCCC Casa Cicero Catania / ACA Amore Campione Architettura - More Images+ 17

Catania, Italy
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  300
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2021
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Cardillo, Lombardo
  • Professionals: Omegabuild