Ex Jesuits' College

Arcade of the ex Collegio dei Gesuiti.

The ex Jesuits' College (in Italian Collegio dei Gesuiti^[1]) is a building in the town centre of Alcamo (in the province of Trapani).

Historical hints

Its construction started in 1652 in order to promote the diffusion of the Christian faith, but it was never completed. The building of the colonnade, instead, dates back to the following century.^[1]

In recent times it has been restored for seven years^[2] and today it is the representative house of the town of Alcamo, of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Alcamo^[2] (together with the Museum of Ethnomusical Instruments^[2]) and of the Civic Library "Sebastiano Bagolino",^[1] which hosts rare incunabulums and sixteenth-century editions.

A vintage photo of the arcade, showing the fourth arch which was destroyed later.

Originally the colonnade of the college had four arches;only three remain as the one which connected the arcade to the Church of Jesus (in Italian chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti), was demolished.

Works

The fresco on the ceiling of the ex Collegio realized by Domenico la Bruna (1738).

Besides the works exhibited inside the museum, there is an 18th century fresco by Domenico La Bruna (dedicated to Our Lady’s Assumption) on the ceiling of the ex Jesuits' College.

Notes

1. 1 2 3 (Italian) comune.alcamo.tp.it, "Ex Collegio dei Gesuiti"
2. 1 2 3 (Italian) Alcamo, il collegio dei Gesuiti diventa museo d’arte contemporanea

Coordinates: 37°58′48″N 12°57′54″E / 37.9799°N 12.9651°E / 37.9799; 12.9651