Built at first as a Franciscan monastery, for a community recorded in Belluno since the XIII century. The construction was later completely rebuilt beside the nearby church of St Peter, erected in 1326, and again thoroughly readapted in 1750. Inside the best testimony of the architectural evolution of the complex are the two cloisters: the so called gothic cloister from the XV century, enriched on the south wall by the busts of the bellunese scholars who were formed in the Franciscan family, whereas the pavement is made out of the XVIII century tombstones belonging to the ancient city families. Also interesting is the Renaissance cloister (XVI century) with its central well dated 1730 on top of an underground cistern that collects the rain falling on the monastery roofs. Closed by Napoleon in 1807, the building hosted the Departmental Gymnasium in 1810 and since 1834 the new Seminary, that the bellunese Pope Gregory XVI wanted to be dedicated to St Gregory the Great. The complex was rebuilt in 1952, the year the new façade was added, by the bellunese architect Alberto Alpago-Novello. The Seminary now also hosts the classical High School dedicated to the bishop Alvise Lollino and the two Gregorian an Lolliniana libraries, particularly rich in ancient Greek volumes. In the little square in front of the building there is the Motta fountain, dated 1562.
Source: Marco Perale
ADDRESS
Via S. Pietro, 19, 32100 Belluno
