Piazza Europa

Piazza Europa is a square in Maratea's historic centre anchored by the former Franciscan convent of the Madonna del Rosario.

Why it matters

The square and convent mark a transition between Maratea's hillside historic centre and its later urban fabric. The convent complex preserves an important part of the town's religious and educational history.

What to notice

The church of the Madonna del Rosario stands behind a portico. Its single hall is unusually large for the borgo, and the interior decoration dates to the early seventeenth century. Beside it, the convent's cloister has two levels of round arches on Ionic colonnettes.

Context and history

The convent complex is dated to 1574 and was founded under Pope Gregory XIII. Originally intended for Dominican friars, it was later occupied by Franciscans of the Minori Osservanti. After suppression in the early nineteenth century, it housed Visitandine and later Salesian sisters and also served educational purposes.