EX CONVENTO DI SANTO STEFANO

The complex covers a vast area where probably the palace of the ancient roman praetor rose, used later by the Saracens as seat of government. In the XVI century it was bought by a noble man from Marsala, Stefano Grisella, who restructured the building and destined it for use a monastery for the Agostiniane Scalze, of whom his daughter Francesca was abbess. The monastery developed around a large courtyard with porticoes, and on the ground floor is home to the middle school “V. Pipitone” and on the first floor the liceo classico (high school for classic studies)“Giovanni XXIII”.

The benefactor also had a church built with façade “a capanna” (with a roof with two slopes) on the via Frisella, which he dedicated to the Saint who he was named after.