Through old and new photographs you can retrace the changes that the Santa Caterina complex has undergone in recent decades, in a walk through the places between past and present.
Planimetries of the complex of Santa Caterina of 1930 (left, from Un'opera di redenzione, 1931) and current (right, AGCPd, Edilizia privata, c.e. 1844/1997 - Università di Padova, Progetto di ristrutturazione dell'arch. Oscar Marchi). The numbers indicate the location of the rooms photographed.
THE EXTERIOR
The entrance of S. Caterina (1)
The entrance to the Conservatori until the '30s: it had maintained the cloistered appearance typical of the monastery, bounded by a high and compact wall. With the restorations it was decided to replace it with the grille that can still be seen today, which allows one to see the small garden from the street and gives a sense of greater width to the entrance.
The main courtyard (2)
The main courtyard used to be used for recreation and outdoor work of the mature youth. Today it is overlooked by the entrance to the library.
The smaller courtyard (3)
The new courtyard, obtained from a part of the garden and situated to the left of the main one, was used for the gymnastics exercises of the elementary classes. Today it is used as a parking lot..
The vegetable garden(4)
The vast vegetable garden, now a large garden.
The new wing of S. Caterina (5)
The new building was erected during the work of the 1930s. It housed a spacious refectory on the ground floor and a dormitory for the youth of Santa Caterina on the second floor. Today these rooms have been converted into classrooms and library spaces on the ground floor and studies of Department teachers on the second floor.
The courtyard and the new wing of Soccorso (6)
The wing of the building that can be seen in the background was built during the works of the 1930s. It housed the refectory and the chapel of the Soccorso on the ground floor, and a dormitory for the youth of the Soccorso on the second floor. Today it is used as a statistical data room of the library on the ground floor and Department offices on the second floor.
THE INTERIORS
The Parlor of S. Caterina (7)
The Parlor of Santa Caterina after the restoration of 1930-31: it was the place where visitors could meet the young girls hosted in the Convent School. Previously this room was the warehouse of the monastery. Today it is the ASID computer room.
The Chapel of S. Caterina (8)
The chapel of S. Caterina after the restoration of 1930-31. Previously it was the refectory of the monastery, while later, starting in the 1940s, it became a recreation room with stage and gymnasium of the Convent School. Today environment is divided into three rooms the room is divided into three rooms: the teaching room SC120 (here in the photo), a driveway and the office of the Library Management, where the 2009 restoration brought to light the 17th century fresco of the original environment.
The communal kitchen in S. Caterina and Soccorso (9)
After the works of the '30s, the kitchen was placed in a central room that was convenient to the service of both boarding schools and equipped with a modern fuel system and other machinery. Today the space is used as front office of the Library of Statistical Sciences "Bernardo Colombo".
The new refectory of S. Caterina (10)
On the ground floor of the new wing of S. Caterina, realized with the restoration of 1930-31, there was the refectory for the educators, today transformed into classroom SC140.
The new dormitory of S. Caterina (11)
On the second floor of the new wing built with the restoration of 1930-31 there was a spacious dormitory with 29 beds for the educators of S. Caterina, now transformed into the room of "F. Benevenuti" and some offices.
The dormitory of S. Caterina for little girls (12)
The dormitory for small girls was on the second floor of the complex, above the classrooms near the courtyard reserved for elementary classes. During the restorations in the years 1930-31 the partition walls were removed and the room became a single dormitory with 20 beds. Today the offices of the administration and management of the Department of Statistical Sciences have been created in that space.
The Chapel of Soccorso (13)
A part of the ground floor of the new wing of the Soccorso, realized with the restoration of 1930-31, was used as a chapel, with an altar in the central niche and two lateral confessionals. Today the room is included in the spaces of the Library of Statistical Sciences "Bernardo Colombo" and houses the Statistical data room
The new dormitory of Soccorso (14)
On the second floor of the new Soccorso wing, built with the restoration of 1930-31, there was the dormitory for female students, with a capacity of 25 beds; today the offices of the teachers of the Department of Statistical Sciences are located here.
The new bathrooms of Soccorso (15)
The new bathroom department of the Soccorso was built during the 1930-31 restorations; today it is used as a corridor of the library, equipped with comfortable sliding shelves