Stage of Catania Tango Festival official venue

the historical location for the milongas of Catania Tango Festival

The building that houses the Province of Catania offices is a former Franciscan Convent located in the old city, between Piazza Duomo and the Roman amphitheater. It was built in 700, on the ruins of the monastery destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. To direct the work was called, among others, the architect Francesco Battaglia, the architect of the rebirth of Catania. The style is late baroque, classical, but to more moderate forms. He remained employed by the Friars Minor until, in 1866, with the abolition of ecclesiastical property by the State, was confiscated from the State and transferred to the provincial administration. This, in turn, would allocate the east wing of the building (next to Etnea) seat of the Prefecture and the prefect looked at the official residence until 1937. For the new location became necessary work of transformation and expansion, assigned to the architects Giuseppe Lanzerotti and, later, Francesco Fichera, who was responsible for the partial recovery of the courtyard, with its cloister still embellished by an ancient pine tree.