The Sant’Agostino Convent in Caserta was built in the 15th century. When it needed to be reconstructed in the 18th century, leftover material from the Reggia was used. Today the complex houses three museums and a number of institutions.
A brief history of the convent of Sant’Agostino in Caserta
The Sant’Agostino Monastery was built in 1441 by the Agostinian Friar Order. The whole complex consists of the church, the convent and the 16th century cloister.
In 1652 the monastery was closed, as hardly anyone lived there anymore. The Dominican Order then took over and turned it into a home for poor young women.
In the mid-18th century the church was rebuilt. This was probably done under the direction of Luigi Vanvitelli, who reused residual material from the Reggia for the job.
The interior consists of a single nave and a pronaos. On the sides are shallow niches in the walls. In one of these niches is a wooden statue of the hand of Paul Morder Doss. This was made in 1992 and depicts San Sebastiano.
Artworks
In the atrium, there are two frescoes from the early 17th century. These depict “Saint Antonio Abate” and the “Madonna delle Grazie” respectively. The “Addolorata” by the hand of G. Scognamiglio (1790) is also in the atrium.
The same goes for “Sant’Elena in Adoration of the Cross” (late 17th century), which was taken from the Sant’Elena Church in Caserta.
The paintings in the room to the left of the nave were made in the late 16th century.
The ovals in the nave were made by A. Dominici (“Santa Teresa”), P. Bardellino (“Santa Rosa da Lima”), Giacinto Diano (“Santa Caterina da Siena”) and D. Mondo (“Santa Carmelitana”).
The painting at the left altar was the work of Giacinto Diano, while the one at the right altar was painted by Girolamo Starace.
The main altar dates from the mid-19th century.
Museums
In addition to multiple museums, the monastery houses several cultural entities. The museums are the Wax Museum, the Museum of Festivals and Traditions and the Modern Art Museum.
Useful information
Address: Largo San Sebastiano, 81100 – Caserta. Tel. +39 0823273843. Opening hours and admission price are not known.