About
The Conservatorio di Musica Alessandro Scarlatti, better known in English as the Palermo Conservatory, is a music conservatory in Palermo, Italy. One of the oldest music schools in Italy, the organization was originally established as an orphanage for boys known as the Orfanotrofio del Buon Pastore in 1618. Music instruction began at the school in the late 17th century, and for a limited period music was the primary emphasis of the school when it was known as the Conservatorio dei giovanetti dispersi. It evolved into a liberal arts college, known as the Collegio dei giovanetti dispersi, with an emphasis on literature and writing during the first half of the 18th century. In 1747 an emphasis on music resumed, and not long after the school was renamed the Collegio musicale del Buon Pastore. It operated under that name until 1915 when the school's name was changed to the Conservatorio di Musica Vincenzo Bellini. In 2018, the school's name was changed once again in honor of the composer Alessandro Scarlatti.
