Inaugurated in 1998, the San Giovanni Monumental Complex stands in Piazza Garibaldi, on the site of the Norman Castle, built in the 11th century by Robert Guiscard and partially destroyed in the fifteenth century. The materials from the castle were used – among other things – for the construction of the Church of SS. John the Baptist and Evangelist, home to one of the most important confraternities in the city; the White Brotherhood of Santa Croce (1563) with the Hospitio (1569) and the convent of the Teresians (1645). These last two buildings were later transformed into barracks and then into prisons.
On December 18, 1998, with an exhibition dedicated to Andrea Cefaly, the San Giovanni Complex began a new phase of life and history. In 1999, a new exhibition dedicated to Mattia Preti (the Calabrian Knight) established the Complex as a prestigious cultural and exhibition hub, among the most important in Southern Italy. This is the role the Complex holds today, thanks to the charm of the place and the vastness of the restored exhibition spaces.
Information on the San Giovanni Monumental Complex of Catanzaro
Piazza Garibaldi, 1
Catanzaro (Catanzaro)
0961 794388
Source: MIBACT
