The monastery’s history is linked to its archaeological past and particularly its location.
Over the centuries, the monks assembled a highly valuable collection.
Until a few decades ago the works were collected and exhibited in the five rooms connected to the library, where the artefacts were divided into naturalia and artificialia (natural and artificial).
The former were objects created by nature; the latter created by man.
The rooms housed ancient Etruscan or Greek-Siceliot vases and terracotta, bronze objects, ancient armour, marble and much more.
Today, everything is kept in the Castello Ursino Civic Museum together with other paintings from the monastery.