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If you want to get lost in Reggio Emilia's most extraordinary monumental complex, one of the most evocative of the Italian Renaissance, you cannot miss the Chiostri di San Pietro.
It was the genius of Giulio Romano of Palazzo Te in Mantua that influenced Bartolomeo Spani in the 16th century, who created the Chiostro Piccolo between 1524 and 1525, and Prospero and Francesco Pacchioni, who created the Grande seventy years later.
The monastic complex, including courtyards and gardens, was built in the vast area from the Via Emilia to the walls and belonged to the Benedictine monks who officiated in the adjoining Church of San Pietro.
Over time, it was put to a variety of uses: in 1783 the monastery was suppressed and used as a military warehouse, then as the seat of the Court of Justice; in the 19th century it became the seat of the Educandato delle Fanciulle (girls\' boarding school), and after the Unification of Italy it was turned into military barracks, to then remain abandoned and inaccessible until it was rediscovered and publicly restored.
A recent restoration has brought back to light, at least in part, the frescoed walls that were covered with a layer of lime in the 1950s and removed the infill, and has attempted to restore the complex to its original appearance.
Today, the Cloisters of St Peter\'s are a cultural pole in the city centre and host workshop and educational activities to encourage young people and adults to use and enhance the cultural heritage from an inclusive and participatory viewpoint, with a strong focus onaccessibility, offering public and private bodies, companies, associations, the opportunity to organise exhibitions, shows, events, and activities to launch and develop innovative projects with a high social impact.
Via Emilia San Pietro, 44c, 42121 Reggio Emilia RE, Italia
