The Dominican Convent, in San Giorgio Morgeto, dates back to the 15th century at the behest of Battista Caracciolo, count of Gerace and lord of San Giorgio. The convent stands as one of the largest in Calabria, with imposing and grand structures that draw the attention of visitors and scholars. Its construction was completed in 1473, the year Pope Sixtus IV granted the papal bull for the opening of the convent, emphasizing the importance of the place in the religious life of the time.
Next to the convent stands the Church of Santa Maria Annunziata, built by Brother Giovanni Caracciolo in 1393. This church, together with the convent, represented a center of spirituality and formation for novices of the period. However, the history of the convent is not without tragic events: in the devastating earthquake of 1783, part of the building collapsed, leading to a difficult phase of recovery and reconstruction.
After the Unification of Italy, the convent was forfeited by the state and entrusted to the Municipality of San Giorgio Morgeto, but its cultural importance was not forgotten. Several illustrious figures, such as Fra Tommaso Campanella, the holy bishop Piromalli and Domenico Diez de Aux, bishop of Gerace, lived and worked within these walls, contributing to the intellectual and spiritual tradition of the convent. Subsequently, the municipal administration once again granted the premises to the Dominican friars, who returned to inhabit the convent after a period of absence, thus renewing the link between the community and religious life.
Today, the Dominican Convent is a place of reflection and culture, representing a valuable historical and religious heritage for San Giorgio Morgeto and the whole of Calabria.