THE NATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL MARIO CUTELLI

Mario Cutelli jurist and philosopher trained at the University of Catania, lived and worked between Sicily and Spain in the first half of the 17th century. During the reign of Philip IV, he held important positions in the service of the Spanish empire and in Sicily he distinguished himself for his action against the impunity of the clergy against certain serious crimes, mitigating the prerogative of medieval origin of the ?privilegium fori? In Sicily he acquired a number of fiefdoms, and in 1654, when he died, he included a clause in his will that if the male line of his heirs became extinct, part of the family estate would be used to establish a ?college for noble men? so that a virtuous ruling class could be educated to study canon and civil law. This eventuality became a reality almost a century later, and despite opposition from the female branch of the heirs, thanks to the proceeds from the fief of Aliminusa, construction of the college began. The building was constructed on the end of the axis of Via Vittorio Emanuele, toward its outlet to the sea, and was completed in 1779. The Palermo architect and pupil of Vanvitelli, Giovan Battista Vaccarini, with whom Francesco Battaglia collaborated, was commissioned to design it. The two protagonists of the Baroque reconstruction of Catania, after the terrible earthquake of 1693, divided the tasks: Battaglia laid out the facade in an austere neoclassical style, while in the courtyard Vaccarini created an airy architectural space where on the first order the pillars with leaning columns stand out, reminiscent of the rhythm of imperial amphitheaters. On the upper floor around the entire perimeter of the courtyard is a gallery accessed from the wide openings of the second order. Also noteworthy is the wide staircase leading to the great hall where monochrome frescoes celebrate the outstanding personalities of Sicilian scientists and jurists. Today the building is home to an elementary school, a secondary school, and a Liceo Classico.