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The Dominican convent and church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria were founded in the second half of the 14th century by the Marquises Del Carretto, as the family's main place of devotion.
All that remains of the medieval church is the bell tower, whose spire rebuilt during the recent restoration characterises the 'skyline' of the Borgo.
Constructed at the end of the 15th century, thanks to the intervention of Carlo Domenico Del Carretto, who became Cardinal of Finale in 1505, with their elegant columns and capitals in Finale stone, the Renaissance Cloisters are a perfect example of Renaissance architecture.
The complex includes an actual cloister with a central well, columns and arches surrounding an inner courtyard.
After the suppression of the convent in 1864, the complex was turned into a prison and housed among its inmates the socialist anarchists of the 1898 Milan riots.
With the radical restoration, the Monumental Complex of Santa Caterina in Finalborgo became an important cultural centre, with the creation of the auditorium and a large exhibition space in the "Oratorio dei Disciplinanti". The cloisters are also home to the Archaeological Museum of the Finale and the civic library.
Today, the Chiostri di Santa Caterina are often used for cultural events, art exhibitions, concerts and other events. The architectural beauty of the place and its conformation typical of the convents of yesteryear make it an authentic place of peace and recollection, a journey through time that takes us back to the atmosphere of the Marquisate.
