San Cipriano Monastery

The San Cipriano Monastery, the only monastic complex present in the historic city center of Trieste, is also one of the oldest architectural structures in the city. Located on the San Giusto hill, it dates back to 1400. It comprises the church and six buildings where monastic life unfolds according to the Benedictine order. We drew up the general and enhancement plans for the monastery, having completed the complex authorization procedures, and assisted the owners, the Benedictine nuns, in the economic development and project works. Its economic enhancement was a necessary condition for the funding of the construction of the new monastery in Prosecco (presented elsewhere here). So, the first two bundles of works were identified to allow the nuns access to funds for the construction of the new monastery and, in the meantime, the use of their monastery until completion of the new construction. Some apartments were made in the building already dedicated to restoration and guestrooms. A nursery school was created in the building dedicated to orators. The complexity due to the historic and architectural value of the buildings was compounded by complexities due to a limited budget which could not be breached even in the case of unforeseen factors, which in a restauration project cannot always be accounted for. Even the completion times were very tight and had to be respected as they were linked to the construction of the new monastery. For example, it was necessary to complete the nursery school (a restauration project of 700 sq. m) in only three months. This was only possible thanks to: a profound knowledge of the buildings; a commission with very clear ideas that worked directly with various parts of the restauration; and a planning and direction of works office that held extensive powers and that was continuously present on the construction site, thus solving every problem and variation in real-time.