The Hotel Garden

The Carmine district displays the typical characteristics of neighborhoods developed during the Baroque period, with a network of streets laid out in an orthogonal grid. Within these streets are several small enclosed gardens, surrounded by houses or walls, which until the 16th century formed a single large garden known as the Garden of the Court (Giardino della Corte), so named because it was bordered by the residences of the high-ranking dignitaries of the Archiepiscopal Court of Monreale.

During the 16th century, the Carmine district included the neighborhoods of Arancio, Piazzetta, Itria, Orto Mangano, Varanni (Via Grande, now Corso Pietro Novelli), Barattieri, Ucciditore, and Gebbione. Compared with the other districts, which were situated at higher elevations, the Carmine district occupied a more favorable location. It was also particularly rich in water resources and public fountains, one of which—the Carmine Fountain—still survives today. Later, Archbishop Venero brought additional water to the area from springs that he had discovered.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the convent, by then owned by the Italian State, had fallen into ruin and was eventually demolished. The only remaining structure was the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Company of Carmine, which had been appointed its guardian as early as 1913.

Around 1930, what remained of the garden was purchased by Mr. Paolo Sarrica, a resident of Monreale.

On January 15, 1888, the builder Ignazio Grado was commissioned by the Mayor of Monreale, Antonino Leto Saputo, together with the Commission responsible for the expropriation of the Orto Veneziano (part of the Garden of the Court) and the Garden of Saint Castrense (another section of the Garden of the Court), to prepare an urban expansion plan for the Carmine district. The project included the Orto Veneziano and the adjacent garden belonging to the former Monastery of Saint Castrense.

The garden extends from north to south, beginning at Corso Pietro Novelli and ending in the lower part of the Carmine district. Today, Corso Novelli features two entrances to the Orto Veneziano: one is an iron gate bearing the initials "O.V." (Orto Veneziano), while the other is the passageway known as Chiasso Cavallaro. These entrances were originally designed to provide direct access from what was planned to become the future tram station square along Corso Pietro Novelli into the heart of the neighborhood.